Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)

I am delighted to speak on this motion. I compliment and commend Deputy Catherine Murphy and other Deputies from the Technical Group who have proposed it. Ba mhaith liom comhghairdeas a ghabháil leis an Aire agus an Aire Stáit freisin. I thank the Minister, Deputy Reilly, and the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, for selflessly agreeing to this motion. During my five years as a Member of this House, it has been unusual for a motion of this nature to go unchallenged on the floor of the House. I commend the Minister and the Minister of State on that.

I would like to commend Deputy Ann Phelan, who spoke from her heart about her experiences. From the bottom of my heart, I thank her for telling her story in such a humane manner and expressing it so well. No words of mine could follow what she said. One needs to have lived through something like that to understand it.

My attitude to these matters is that prevention of any chronic disease is better than cure. We are talking specifically about stroke in the context of a document that has been produced by the Irish Heart Foundation. Prevention is vital. Our economic disaster should have been prevented because the Financial Regulator and the Central Bank were supposed to be overseeing the financial sector. We are now in this crisis because they failed to do so. That is having a detrimental impact on our health services. I will not make light of this serious issue by speaking further about our economic woes.

The point I am making is that prevention is always 1,000 times easier, safer and healthier than cure. It is better for patients and for the system. When I listened to "The John Murray Show" on RTE radio recently, I heard Professor Niall Moyna speaking about something he is trying to get implemented in schools. I knew Professor Moyna, who is a very experienced intellectual, many years ago. Huge problems like obesity are being caused by a lack of exercise and lifestyle changes. Less than 100 years ago - in some areas, less than 40 years ago - people used to walk or cycle to school. That is no longer possible in many country areas because it is not safe any more.

Lack of exercise is also a problem. Many people spend a great deal of time sitting in front of personal computers and televisions. As times change, dietary problems are becoming more prevalent. I understand the Joint Committee on Communications, Natural Resources and Agriculture is grappling with the question of controlling the sheer amount of advertising, which is another aspect of this problem. We have to deal with this in our schools. The Departments of Education and Skills and Health need to engage in joined-up thinking with families and those of us who are parents.

I would like to compliment South Tipperary General Hospital, which is the only unit in the south east that has the new system, as far as I am aware. It is provided in a four-bed unit that has been in place for the past four years. It has the technology that is needed to provide treatment using the new clot-busting drugs. Deputies will be familiar with the excellent work that is carried out there. I have been impressed by the ability of the hospital authorities to engage with the new treatment, as part of the normal daily running of the hospital, and offer it to serious stroke victims.

I am glad the Minister and the Minister of State are here. I want to remind them that South Tipperary General Hospital is under huge pressure. I am sure they are aware of the state-of-the-art assessment unit in St. Patrick's Hospital in Cashel, which would be nothing without its staff, including the excellent matron. I want to mention everyone from the cleaners to the therapists. The same is true of South Tipperary General Hospital. We get a lot of knocks and hear a lot of bad things. I am keen to mention some of the good things that happen. We have to thank and praise those who are responsible for them.

We are aware that stroke therapy in the community is a dismal failure. The previous speaker said that €557 million has been invested, but just a small percentage of that - €7 million - has been used to provide these services in the community.

I am glad the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, is here. We are having a huge battle with her at the moment about the loss of psychiatric services in Clonmel. The Minister of State and her officials are adamant that it is better to move towards a community-based system. The mental health system receives a minor fraction of the HSE's overall funding. It is given the crumbs. The Minister of State and the Minister, Deputy Reilly, could transfer funds into community services and provide for easier access to those services to ensure that when the unfortunate victims of stroke are released from hospital, they receive after-care, are able to access services and are not frustrated. This should be done hand in hand with the psychiatric services.

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