Dr. Edward McKone:

I want to make a comment which will give the committee a sense of the challenges we are facing. We have presented the committee with data on the importance of lung disease. That has been communicated very well. The HSE has recently published a health promotion strategy document which talks about the crises and public health challenges being faced by the Government, yet there is no mention of lung disease in it. They talk about coronary artery disease, diabetes, obesity and smoking. We are trying to get across that smoking will impact on respiratory disease but that there is a substantial morbidity that is not smoking-related. We need advocates therefore to ask the HSE: "Where is respiratory disease when you're making these policy documents?" The HSE should focus on it and have an independent approach to it so that we can work on trying to improve outcomes for this huge patient population. One in five is the number we have heard repeatedly. We need to advocate to get the HSE to recognise that and work with us to develop a strategic document to move forward.