Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)

I am glad the Minister of State has accepted that the background conditions which cause metabolic syndrome are a greater threat to public health than smoking was at the height of its popularity. What does he consider to be the best approach to dealing with the four core elements of the syndrome, which are hypertension, high levels of cholesterol, a body mass index of more than the suggested level and diabetes? Does the Minister of State agree that prevention is better than cure? Does he accept there is a need to implement a screening programme at primary care level as the best way of dealing with this? The cardiovascular strategy that was mentioned by the Minister of State is not relevant in this regard, because most of it focusses on the Heartwatch programme, which is a form of secondary prevention. In other words, one cannot be dealt with under the programme unless one has had a heart attack or something like it. Are there are any plans to introduce primary screening in this area? The four main elements of metabolic syndrome — blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, obesity and diabetes — are going out of control, more or less, among the general population. We should introduce screening programmes in such areas, rather than waiting for problems to develop.

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