Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Brady for his question. I know what a sincere help he has been to Les, Lynda, Cogs and Kiwi. This is not a party political issue. Both of us have got to know the family very well. It is fair to say they have done a really important job in highlighting issues regarding our newborn screening programme. I hope to meet Les Martin again in the next couple of weeks and I invite the Deputy to come to that meeting with me. I must be honest. I have been very honest with Les Martin, Senator Norris and others. My gut feeling is that we should expand our newborn screening programme because when one looks at European and international norms, as my Department has done, one can see that some countries screen for fewer diseases than we do but many countries screen for far more. It is fair to say that Italy probably screens for more diseases than nearly any other country but from memory, we are behind the European average in terms of what we screen for. I think we should screen for more diseases.

However, I have told Les Martin and others and will continue to say that these are clinical decisions as well. Under the Scally report, we have set up a new national screening committee, which was referenced by Deputy Brady. I appointed the very eminent Professor Niall O'Higgins to chair it. From memory, I appointed the other members of the steering committee this week and we will announce them in the coming days. I hope the first meeting of the committee will take place, if not this month, then next month. I have asked that the committee's first body of work be to review our newborn screening programme in line with international best practice. We currently screen for eight conditions. Should we screen for more? I think we should but I have explained that this is a body of work that the screening committee needs to do.

With regard to legislation, different countries have done different things. Some have legislated in this area while others have not. Senator Norris has brought forward a Bill, which I have spoken to him briefly about, but we have not yet engaged with it in detail. I am committed to meeting him as well. Let me meet Senator Norris and let the screening committee get its work under way. This will be its first body of work. Perhaps the Deputy and I could meet the Martin family in the next two or three weeks.