Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)

I thank Deputy Reilly for the opportunity to speak about cystic fibrosis and the lack of services for sufferers in Ireland. As a Deputy representing Dublin North-East, I am very aware of this issue. During the general election campaign, many members of the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland actively campaigned on this issue and brought it to my attention. I thank those people and commend them for their good work.

As Deputy Reilly noted, with 1,200 or so patients in Ireland, we have the highest proportion of people with cystic fibrosis in the world. This is totally unacceptable. Life expectancy for sufferers is significantly lower in Ireland than in Northern Ireland and the UK. One might ask this Minister why this should be the case. As Deputy Reilly noted, there is a severe lack of neonatal screening, home care and supports for sufferers and families, and isolation beds for sufferers of the disease. Medical cards are not available to young sufferers of the disease who deserve them.

All this could be changed overnight if the Minister for Health and Children had the political will to deliver proper cystic fibrosis services. Fine Gael recognises the serious deficiencies in services for cystic fibrosis sufferers in Ireland and the difficulties they are faced with on a daily basis. We deplore the fact that the life expectancy of cystic fibrosis patients in the Republic of Ireland is lower than in the North of Ireland.

At a time of unprecedented economic success, Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats failed to implement the recommendations of the Pollock report. Funding was set aside in the 2006 budget for the recruitment of 57 additional specialist staff. Can the Minister confirm if they have been recruited? Are they another victim of the Minister's cutbacks, recruitment ban and other barriers? Have more nurses been appointed?

Fine Gael is acutely aware of the dangers posed to sufferers of cystic fibrosis by waiting in overcrowded accident and emergency departments, the spread of hospital acquired infections and the lack of isolation facilities. We on this side of the House are tired of Fianna Fáil inaction which continues to put people's lives at risk. Fine Gael's main priority, which should also be that of the Minister, is to see that cystic fibrosis sufferers benefit from world class treatment so they can lead more productive, active and healthy lifestyles.

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