Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I apologise for not being here for the beginning of the presentation.

My queries relates to the 700 people that were mentioned. Senator Colm Burke has already asked a question on research and what the committee can do to pursue the matter.

I have only met one person with the disease. She was a very young girl and it was difficult to see the type of life she had. The Senator and I, along with many members here, will fondly remember our two colleagues, Deputy Nicky McFadden and Councillor Mary Harty.

Mary was a councillor and Nicky a Member of Dáil Éireann, and motor neuron disease had an enormous effect on their lives and that of their families. I have only met one person with Huntington's disease, whose whole life fell apart in a very short space of time.

The witnesses have said that there is no dedicated team to deal with this, and I would like to know why that is the case. Is it because of a lack of funding or a lack of expertise on the part of medical personnel? Obviously people are being treated, not by a dedicated team, but through the mainstream health services. It seems that they are only getting the crumbs from the table.

I have no other questions. I agree with what Senator Burke said about the importance of research both here and abroad. If any comfort is to be given to people with Huntington's disease, it will come through research.