James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

I move:

That Dáil Éireann:

noting:

the findings of the Health Information and Quality Authority whereby the introduction of the HPV cervical cancer vaccination programme could see a 34 per cent reduction in pre-cancers, a 56 per cent reduction in cervical cancer and a 56 per cent reduction in deaths from cervical cancer;

that the total cost of introducing the vaccine is estimated to be €9.7 million according to the Health Information and Quality Authority;

that the direct savings in treatment costs due to the disease being avoided is more than €2.7 million per annum according to the Health Information and Quality Authority, excluding broader savings;

the breakthrough nature of this medical advance; and

that the total health budget is more than €16,000 million this year;

condemns the decision of the Minister for Health and Children to abandon this programme as short-sighted and unjustifiable, and calls on the Minister for Health and Children to immediately reverse her decision.

I wish to share time with Deputies Olivia Mitchell, Catherine Byrne, Joe Carey, Dinny McGinley, Joe McHugh, John O'Mahony and John Perry.

Fine Gael has tabled this motion because we believe we are at a crossroads in terms of how we prioritise and spend our money within our health policy. This reaches to core values in health, namely, the saving of lives and the prevention of illness, pain and death. For background purposes, I mention that HIQA recommended that this vaccination programme go ahead and it produced figures which I put on the record of the Dáil last week. They are worth repeating because they are stark. Of the 7,259 cases of pre-invasive carcinoma type 1 of the cervix, known technically as CIN 1, 2,245 could be averted by the use of the vaccine. Of the 3,515 cases of CIN 2 and 3 which are also pre-invasive but more serious, 1,435 could be averted. More than one third of pre-invasive cancers which require treatment, time off work, distress, worry and anxiety could be averted by the use of this vaccine.

More startling are the facts that of the 200 cases of cervical cancer recorded in 2004, HIQA estimates that 111 could have been avoided as could 52 of the 93 deaths from cervical cancer in the same year. It is a wonder to many people, and to me, that we have been able to develop a vaccine against cancer. It is a dream come true. Now we will not use it because of a Government decision which will seem all the more stark and ludicrous as I speak tonight.

I remind the Dáil and the Minister of the programme for Government which states the Government will:

make available as a universal public health entitlement a cervical cancer vaccine, once it has been recommended by experts. The recent development of a cervical cancer vaccine opens up the possibility of effectively ending cervical cancer within a few generations.

With regard to recommendations by experts, the members of the national immunisation advisory board are the experts on vaccination in this country. They recommended it and the Minister accepted this recommendation. HIQA conducted a cost-benefit analysis on it and recommended it, which the Minister also accepted because in August she announced the programme. Three months later, the Minister is trying to tell the Chamber and the people of Ireland that she cannot find €10 million out of €16 billion. In fact, it does not involve an amount of €10 million because I understand both companies are prepared to negotiate a deferral of any fees to be paid for the vaccine in the next year. All that is left to pay out of the €16 billion budget is a mere €900,000 because HIQA has put the cost of administration at €30 per dose. Last week, the Minister told the House the amount of the administration fee would be €5 million. However, for 30,000 children, the total is €900,000. Where would the other €4 million go? Is it to the HSE for administration?

I have discussed HIQA and the national immunisation board. Other voluntary organisations are deeply involved with this matter. I met with the Marie Keating Foundation which is incredulous that this will not go ahead. The Irish Family Planning Association cannot understand the Minister's logic. The Well Woman Centre has expressed on the airwaves its disappointment and lack of understanding as to how the Minister could come to this decision. The European Cervical Cancer Association is equally incredulous that this will not go ahead.

The Minister states she cannot find the money. What about the cash for consultants to the HSE which amounted to €7.9 million last year for PPARS alone? What about the bonuses for the bosses in the HSE? These bonuses would pay for the administration of this. It might not pay for the cost of the vaccine but that can be deferred for a year. What about the redundancies which were discussed in light of the fact that a number of years ago Professor Drumm told us that at least 2,000 people in the HSE did not know what their job was?

Last week, the Minister mentioned that other countries in Europe did not have this vaccination. However, one must travel right across to the other side of Europe to Sweden to find one. They have it 50 miles up the road in Newry in Northern Ireland and we cannot have it here for our children. Why, if it was right in August, is it not right today? On many occasions, the Minister has spoken, sometimes passionately, about putting the patient first. However, her actions are the opposite. A good Minister would prioritise what is important. What is a higher priority than saving a life? Deputy McDaid, a Member of this House and a medical professional like myself, asked the Minister to remove what he described as a death sentence for these children. I ask her to do likewise.

Many decisions have been made but this is one of the worst, ill-judged and ill-thought out in a long time. It is easy to score political points and discuss taking money from the elderly and disabled children. All of these decisions have been reversed. The levy on the low paid has also been reversed as was the decision on the tax deductibility on in-vitro fertilisation. Is the Minister really prepared, for the sake of €900,000, to sacrifice the lives of 52 of our 12 year olds? Is she prepared to see approximately 111 of them suffer cancer and all of the pain and anguish that goes with it?

This is penny wise and pound foolish. HIQA calculates the savings in treatment costs per year due to disease avoided would be €2.7 million and the total cost of vaccination would be €9.7 million. This leaves the net amount at approximately €6.9 million. However, this fails to include the amount of income lost to industry and the Exchequer through people being out of work. This makes it cheaper again. It does not make any sense.

It is not too late for the Minister to put her hand up and admit she made a mistake. As the Minister of State, Deputy Sargent, told me and others at a meeting in Skerries, it was a rushed budget. The Minister rushed in and made a mistake. Sometimes it is great to be determined to carry on regardless and not to be for turning. However, this is when one is right. In this instance, the Minister is wrong. The Irish Family Planning Association, the Marie Keating Foundation and the European Cervical Cancer Association know it, as do we all. The Minister knows it herself and her colleagues on the backbenches know it. Will the Minister show real political courage, swallow her political pride and reverse this clearly wrong and obnoxious decision to remove the right to life from these children and let them live without the fear of at least one cancer?

See this speech in context