SEANAD REPORT:THE SCHEME suggested by Minister for Health Mary Harney to provide an isolation facility for cystic fibrosis sufferers sounded vague and unreliable, Fine Gael leader in the Seanad Frances Fitzgerald said.
“It does not sound as if it will produce the unit that is needed.”
Ms Fitzgerald referred to Orla Tinsley, who fought for services for those with cystic fibrosis and expressed the hope that she could have trust in this latest proposal. “I think that people watching in on the Budget today will be a little like Orla. They will be saying ‘can we trust a Government that has let us down so often over the last number of years and has wasted so much of our money?’ ”
David Norris (Ind) who called Ms Tinsley “a courageous, wonderful woman”, said the latest ministerial proposal was pie in the sky. “We want that pie landed for the sake of people with cystic fibrosis.” He added that the Seanad leader should ensure the Minister gave “cast-iron guarantees that could be cashed in . . . to ensure that the promised unit was put in place”.
Mark Daly (FF) said he was glad the Minister was going to proceed on this issue. “For her not to proceed would have been a travesty that is hard to imagine.” Rónán Mullen (Ind) said it was a pity people like Orla Tinsley had to campaign to get what they deserved.
Feargal Quinn (Ind) said he understood that families who survived the Famine had genes that “made us more susceptible to cystic fibrosis. It’s the reason why we in the Republic have a much higher level of cystic fibrosis than elsewhere in Europe.” That put cystic fibrosis at a greater level of importance in this country than elsewhere, he added.
A four-week target has been set for urgent colonoscopies from the date of referral, Minister of State Máire Hoctor told the Seanad.
She said that Ms Harney had asked the HSE to report to her under the service planning process on compliance with this target.
Ms Hoctor, who was speaking on bowel cancer awareness, said there had been a significant reduction in waiting lists for colonoscopies and the HSE was continuing to work toward the target of four weeks for urgent referrals.
“The National Cancer Control Programme has not yet taken a policy position on a timetable for the centralisation of colon cancer surgery. There will be a requirement to reduce the number of hospitals performing colon cancer surgery.”
Eugene Regan (FG) paid tribute to late Supreme Court judge Séamus Henchy and said “his contribution to the Constitution we have today . . . was of great significance”.