Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for this opportunity to speak to this important motion on health and, in particular, the report of the Irish Heart Foundation entitled Cost of Stroke in Ireland. This is an important health issue and I commend my Independent colleagues and Members of the Technical Group for tabling this motion. As well as dealing with the issue in a comprehensive way, it offers solutions and I urge the Government to be brave and responsible and act on this matter. It is in the interests of the Irish people and, if implemented, would lead to a better and healthier Ireland in 2012. In Ireland, approximately 10,000 people per year will suffer a stroke at a cost of over 2,000 lives annually, making stroke Ireland's third largest killer. Some 50,000 people in Ireland are living with a disability acquired through stroke and stroke is the biggest cause of acquired disability in Ireland. The statistics are a wake-up call to us all. The human cost and the financial cost is mind-boggling and reinforces the urgent need for this debate and for action. Action, not talk, is the important factor in this debate. Cutting health services should never be an option.

I commend our health professionals, doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and carers who do an excellent job in the service throughout the State. They are doing a great job with difficult problems and the last thing they want to do is look over their shoulders about the funding issue. I urge the Government to consider this issue. I also commend the work of the National Rehabilitation Hospital. For many years, we have had constituents asking us to make representations to get them a place in it and many of us have had to kick, shout and scream to get people in there. That is unacceptable for families. Some 50,000 people acquire a disability because of stroke and this is an important aspect of the debate.

As I am speaking about disabilities, I condemn, criticise and disagree with the recent remarks of Dr. Tony Humphreys about autism. It was an outrageous attack on families of children and adults with autism and on the disability community. I speak as the parent of a daughter with a disability, although it is Down's syndrome rather than autism. Many other families feel for the parents of autistic kids and I strongly agree with the Minister's remarks in the national media during the week. It is unacceptable for somebody like Dr. Tony Humphreys to call himself a doctor and make outrageous statements. It is unacceptable to us as parents of children and adults with disabilities to insult families in such a way.

On a positive note, I urge the Minister to develop services for motor neurone disease. A lot of good work is going on in Beaumont Hospital but we need to support it in terms of funding. A recent programme on RTE featured the great Colm Murray from Clontarf. He did an excellent job in highlighting the issue and his plight. I had the honour and privilege of meeting him recently. I commend RTE for broadcasting the film. It was an excellent example of public broadcasting which showed the reality of the disease and the people who are brave and dignified in how they deal with it.

Another issue in terms of strokes is linked to mental health. A lot of depression is associated with people who have strokes. This is an issue which is linked to other long-term illnesses. We have to face up to the reality that a lot of people in our society have personal problems. I accept there has been a significant increase in the number of stroke units over the past two years and the Government has committed to ensure over 90% of all admitting hospitals will have effective stroke units in the first half of this year.

I am also aware of the ongoing development of the Department of Health well-being policy to tackle the risk factors for cardiovascular and chronic conditions. I hope the Government is strongly committed to front-loading investment in stroke prevention and rehabilitation services to improve the quality of life of those affected by stroke. A significant by-product would be to address the situation whereby €414 million of the €557 million in annual Exchequer spending on strokes goes toward nursing home care for one in six nursing home patients who are survivors of strokes.

I call on the Government to develop the implementation plan, based on the recommendations of the national policy and strategy for the provision of neuro rehabilitation services in spite of the difficult financial position in which we find ourselves. That is the way forward and Independent Members of the Dáil will strongly support the efforts to support patients and citizens. We have to change the mindset, policy and vision in order to act to deliver a quality health service.

The Taoiseach mentioned Cuba in a derogatory way and I strongly disagree with him. It has an excellent health service and if one goes to hospital in Havana, where I have been, one will not see people on trolleys. There is a lesson to be learned. I urge the Minister to develop the recommendations of the national policy and continue to develop a multidisciplinary rehabilitation network to include teams throughout the country which would provide special support to stroke survivors and persons with neurological conditions.

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