Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As the Tánaiste is aware, today, 14 November, marks, as it has every year since 1991, World Diabetes Day, a day to raise public awareness of diabetes and of the escalating health threat that this condition now poses. I want to commend the work of the International Diabetes Federation, its Irish association, Diabetes Ireland, and all of those in our health service who care for patients with diabetes and the devastating chronic complications often associated with it, including diabetic cardiomyopathy, diabetic nephropathy, diabetic retinopathy and diabetic foot.

In the absence of a register of people who have diabetes, we cannot be entirely sure of how many people in Ireland live with diabetes. In 2012, the International Diabetes Federation estimated that there were approximately 192,000 people with diabetes in Ireland and that, by 2030, there would be in excess of 278,000 people with the condition in this State. Spending on diabetes was estimated at some 8% of total health spending. Make no mistake about it, by any measure this is a very serious issue.

As my party's health spokesperson, I have welcomed progress made in the area of diabetes prevention and management. I welcomed the establishment of the expert advisory group in 2008 and the national diabetes working group in 2010. The national clinical programme for diabetes and the integrated care programme provide a model for the realisation of significant improvements and it must be acknowledged that progress is being made, but there is clear evidence that these services are both underfunded and under-resourced. We have neither a national register nor a national plan. If one cannot measure, one cannot manage. We have no screening programme for diabetic retinopathy. We have no national programme for diabetic foot care. When will there be a recognition that we are on the cusp of a serious public health crisis in terms of diabetes and when will we see an appropriate response from the Department, the HSE and this Government?

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