Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for allowing me to raise an important national issue, namely, the provision of dedicated facilities at Cork University Hospital for patients with cystic fibrosis. When I checked the Official Report, it is almost a year to the day, 15 October 2008, when I last raised this matter on the Adjournment. I acknowledge the progress that has been made since in the provision of services and facilities for people with cystic fibrosis. I also acknowledge the additional funding provided for staffing levels with the roll-out of multidisciplinary support teams across the country. Significant improvements have been made in services infrastructure, particularly in St. Vincent's Hospital, Dublin and elsewhere. I am glad there has been some improvement in life expectancy for people with cystic fibrosis. The Health Service Executive provides direct funding for maintaining a cystic fibrosis registry which now can provide relevant data for 90% of those with cystic fibrosis.

This Adjournment debate is also timely with the publication today of the HSE report on services for people with cystic fibrosis. The report was completed in 2006 but has only now been published. It followed on from the Pollock report, commissioned by the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland, which was presented to the HSE. Many of that report's recommendations have been implemented in the past few years.

A statement of need was finalised some time ago for the provision of dedicated cystic fibrosis facilities at Cork University Hospital, to include a dedicated day care unit, with the scope and scale of inpatient beds in a respiratory ward outlined. Anyone with knowledge of cystic fibrosis will be aware that the risk of cross-infection for sufferers in an acute hospital environment is significant. Independent access to cystic fibrosis facilities in a hospital environment is important for sufferers to prevent exposing them to a significant risk of cross-infection which can have fatal consequences. Some progress has been made in the provision of such facilities at Cork University Hospital. The most recent correspondence I received from the HSE indicates plans are being advanced for an interim day care facility in the hospital which will include a dedicated day care space for adult patients until the overall site development plan is advanced for the permanent provision of facilities for children and adult cystic fibrosis patients.

I acknowledge the work of the voluntary group, Build4life, in counties Cork and Kerry which to date has raised in excess €1.5 million. I also acknowledge the work of the Cork 65 Roses Ball committee which held a charity ball last Saturday night to highlight the need to improve the facilities available at Cork University Hospital for both adult and children cystic fibrosis sufferers.

I hope the Minister of State will be able to outline the national position and that in Cork University Hospital in the provision and improvement of services outlined in today's report from the HSE. I welcome the statement the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland has published in response to the HSE report, particularly that new-born screening for cystic fibrosis will begin in 2010. I look forward to the Minister of State's response and hope we can provide as soon as possible across the country and at Cork University Hospital the facilities cystic fibrosis sufferers need and badly deserve.

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