James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

I wish to inquire about two pieces of legislation. As the House is aware, 900 people die from bowel cancer every year in this country and with a screening programme we could save 324 lives per annum. In order to do this we need a unique patient identifier to collate and collect information in order to put proper screening in place. This can be started with a very generous contribution from the Irish Cancer Society of €1 million and I hope the Minister will begin the process and allow for it in her budget this year. We need the health information Bill to be published to allow us to do this and I wonder when this legislation will come before the House.

The other piece of legislation promised by the Minister for Health and Children relates to the Competition Authority. In this country the Minister has refused to negotiate or engage with any of the representative bodies of either dentists, pharmacists, doctors and even Equity Ireland. There was an undertaking given earlier last year that this would be addressed, as the problem does not persist around Europe. Countries such as the UK, the Netherlands, France and Germany do not have this problem in dealing with the professions that we seem to have under competition law from Europe. When will those two pieces of legislation come forward?

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