Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for coming here to deal with this issue. Both presentations referred to a need to develop a facility in Cork. Has a consultation or discussion taken place? There are three hospitals in Cork city. Has a suitable unit been identified to deal with this matter on a long-term basis? Is a new unit just a proposal and no discussion has taken place? Can the proposal be advanced? How can we advance the matter?

I wish to mention research. I note that Dr. Pender mentioned that Beaumont Hospital has signed up to the Enroll-HD research programme. How can this committee ensure we benefit from such research? How can we ensure Ireland becomes involved in the research? If Ireland is involved in research then we can benefit from the results in the long term. What deficiencies prevent us from getting involved in research? How can we resolve the matter?

Access to medical cards is of major importance to families. What recommendation can this committee make that will assist families who need medical assistance? A diagnosis of Huntington's disease does not go away because a person has it for life. Therefore, it is very important that people have unlimited access to services and a medical card can give assistance in this regard. What can this committee do to help the situation? We are talking about 700 people which is a big number in real terms but not in the context of the overall cost of over 1.9 million medical cards. The committee could make a recommendation. I ask the witnesses to let us know how we can assist them in dealing with the issue.