Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the groups all for coming here this morning. Like my colleagues, I had a different perspective on lung disease. In my naivety, I would have thought that most of it could be put down to smoking.

Most of the questions have been covered. On COPD, there was reference to the fact that the narrowing of the airways is different from asthma and the witnesses spoke of running an awareness campaign, but they stated that only 50% of general practitioner surgeries can diagnose COPD. Even if they run the campaign and people go to their general practitioner, given that they generally go to the same general practitioner, how would they be diagnosed?

On the Alpha One Foundation and hereditary emphysema, the witnesses stated that in Ireland, one in 25 is a carrier. Is there a database of carriers, how does one know he or she is a carrier and how does one go about early detection?