Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)

Ireland has the largest incidence of cystic fibrosis in the world. Despite this fact, patients in Ireland have a ten year shorter life expectancy than their counterparts in Northern Ireland. It is a damning indictment of the Government and the Minister for Health and Children that this should be allowed to happen. Cystic fibrosis sufferers have been ignored. Their life-threatening condition has been swept under the carpet for far too long. People living with cystic fibrosis have the ability to live full, active productive lives with normal life expectancies, provided the correct facilities and treatments are in place in our hospitals.

It is four years since the publication of the Pollock report and ten days ago the Minister made another attempt to long-finger the capital development works proposed for St. Vincent's Hospital. The provision of the promised 120-bed facility with 30 en suite rooms at St. Vincent's Hospital is essential if this State is to adequately provide for cystic fibrosis sufferers. In the last year alone, 25 cystic fibrosis sufferers have died. For this reason the Minister must deliver on the political commitments she gave this House and the people of Ireland on the development of St. Vincent's Hospital.

I want to draw attention to the plight of cystic fibrosis living in the mid-west, where sanction has been granted for two consultant positions based in Limerick Regional Hospital. These positions will serve both adults and children suffering from cystic fibrosis. For the first time the region will have respiratory consultants with specific skills in the treatment of cystic fibrosis. These positions have been advertised and applications have been received, but this process has been ongoing since the original commitment was made two years ago. I ask the Minister, Deputy Harney, to intervene with the Public Appointments Service, where this matter rests, and urge it to immediately move to interview stage and make these vital appointments as soon as possible. The exact same position applies for the specialist nursing staff required. Again, I insist that no barriers be placed in front of this process. Advertising has commenced and applications have been received.

The other element of service provision in the mid-west is not as advanced. I speak of the position of physiotherapists for adult sufferers of cystic fibrosis. It is incomprehensible that there is not a cystic fibrosis physiotherapist in place for adult patients in Limerick. I asked the Minister to expedite this process with the national employment monitoring unit of the HSE allowing the position to be advertised. The Minister has identified the development of cystic fibrosis services as a policy priority of the HSE since 2006. What has happened here over the last number of weeks is disgraceful. How many times do cystic fibrosis sufferers have to use the media for the Minister and her Government to take the matter seriously and deliver on their commitments without trying to weasel their way out of them at the latter stage?

A shameful pattern is developing with the cervical cancer vaccine and cystic fibrosis. The Minister and the HSE show an amazing ability to concentrate on the reneging of promises on health care delivery while sailing on regardless with more and more bureaucracy in clinical directorships, reviews of service provision and reinventing the HSE wheel on a more regional basis. I ask the Minister to deliver on time for cystic fibrosis.

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