Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State's response and the commitment she has shown to this issue. I too am committed to this issue and I intend to remain in contact with the Minister, Department and Health Service Executive to try to convince decision makers of the necessity to provide dedicated ward space and services for young people with inflammatory bowel disease. This condition is becoming much more prevalent in the western world, with the numbers involved having grown exponentially in recent years. The State must acknowledge this increase by providing the resources required to meet the challenge.

Children with this debilitating condition and their families have an acute need for privacy, given the personal and often embarrassing nature of some of the symptoms associated with it. The Minister of State and her colleagues will be mindful of this and I expect the children's hospital group board will also be mindful of it when it makes decisions on the provision of services at the national children's hospital. In the meantime, it is extremely important that we focus our attention on the needs of the young people who are using the service provided by Dr. Seamus Hussey and his team, for example, in Crumlin hospital. They are a dedicated group who are working with dedicated parents to secure the best possible outcomes for the children in question.

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