David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I might come back in. It is obvious that we need a new strategy. There is a role for the committee in ensuring that is developed. Following this session, we need to write to the HSE to find out what is happening and to put pressure on for a new strategy to be put in place. It is extraordinary that an advocate organisation has to go to the lengths of seeking parliamentary questions and submitting freedom of information requests to evaluate the effect of a strategy that was in place for nearly ten years. It is outrageous that there has been no evaluation of that strategy. That has to be made very clear to the HSE.

It is also extraordinary that there seems to be no lead unit in the HSE or Department when one considers that cardiovascular disease is one of the biggest killers of people in this State. It is just unbelievable that is the case. There is a need for the committee to shine a spotlight on this issue.

I will move to the issue of stroke survivors. I will go back to Mr. Collins in this regard first. He said that the best estimate the HSE has of the number of stroke survivors is 30,000 but that there has not been a comprehensive survey so the figure could be treble that. Is that the reality?