Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour)

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion and congratulate Deputy O'Sullivan, her staff and the Members of the Technical group for proposing this motion. Like Deputy McNamara, I was pleased to discover no amendment was tabled by the Government. It is good that we have left behind the back and forth politics this evening that can sometimes dominate Private Members' time and that we can instead focus on the issue being discussed.

As mentioned by previous speakers, strokes affect thousands of people in Ireland every year. Strokes can vary from a mild attack from which people can make a full recovery to debilitating attacks which leave them with a much reduced standard of life. While 10,000 people a year will suffer a stroke and face the consequences, family members and close friends will also have to provide care and support for those who have been affected. In Meath alone, there are three different supports groups, including one in Dunboyne, where people can come together over tea and a biscuit to talk to one another about how they are doing and their recuperation. These types of groups are incredibly important to the well-being of those who attend them.

I congratulate the Irish Heart Foundation for supporting these groups. I also congratulate the foundation for its great work on the Act FAST campaign. As the Minister noted in his speech last night, studies have shown that for every €1 we spend on prevention we can save up to €20 on treatment. The Act FAST campaign has been proven to increase the number of preventative procedures that reduce the more serious effects of a stroke. A study carried out in Sligo General Hospital showed that in the first nine months of the campaign, the percentage of stroke patients who received a potentially life-saving clot-busting treatment almost quadrupled, from 3% to 11%. This is an excellent result for the campaign and for preventative medicine in Ireland.

The Minister made it clear in his speech that the continued roll-out of the national stroke programme is a priority for him and the Department. The purpose of the national stroke programme is to reduce the mortality rate and level of disability after a person suffers a stroke. Towards the middle of this year, 94% of stroke patients will have access to stroke care when the two remaining national acute stroke units open. These stroke units are associated with a reduction in the numbers who die due to stroke and a reduction of approximately 20% in the number of those who need institutional care post stroke. This translates into one additional patient returned to community living for every 20 patients treated. These are positive statistics for people who suffered a stroke.

I note from the HSE Dublin north east service plan for 2012, which I received today, that its plans for stroke care for all patients in its catchment area include many measures, including a register of 80% of stroke victims, and acute stroke units established in five sites across the north east operating to standard. Dedicated stroke units are incredibly important to the recovery of stroke victims, as has been seen across the country by patients and their families. I will press the HSE to ensure that these units operate up to standard for the people of the north east.

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