Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Ó Caoláin for raising this issue, as today is World Diabetes Day. This Government is committed to early intervention and care for people suffering from chronic illnesses such as diabetes. Specifically, our reform programme is focusing on delivering more treatment of chronic illnesses in primary care settings where it is more cost effective and more convenient for patients.

The HSE's national clinical programme, which includes the care of children and adolescents with diabetes, was established in May 2010. The purpose of the programme is to define the way that diabetic clinical services should be delivered, resourced and measured. There is strong clinical leadership in the development of the programme, which has as its central aim the saving of the lives, eyes and limbs of patients with diabetes. The objectives of the national diabetes programme are, among others, to develop a national retinopathy screening programme, to develop a foot care screening and treatment service to prevent diabetic foot ulceration and lower limb amputation, and to develop an integrated care programme for all patients with diabetes.

A care package for diabetic children involving the provision of insulin pumps for children under five has been developed. Under-fives are the initial priority. Five regional centres for the provision of pumps are in place - three in Dublin and one each in Cork and the Limerick-Galway region. The aim of this model of care is simply to improve access to insulin pumps. This model is progressing. For example, 50 children in Cork are on such insulin pump therapy, and the next step is to expand pump therapy to all children.

Last March, the National Cancer Screening Service commenced diabetic retinopathy screening. This will offer free, regular diabetic retinopathy screening to children from age 12 and to adults. Some 30% of eligible patients will be called for screening this year and the remaining 70% next year. A quality assurance framework has been developed and a central database of the eligible population has also been developed.

Systematic retinopathy screening on a population basis is clinically effective in identifying treatable eye disease, and is cost effective. The national cancer screening service now has a national register for diabetes, which is a key requirement before screening can commence.

A national foot care model is being developed and good progress has been made. Most of the posts for diabetes nurse specialists, as part of an integrated care package for patients, have now been filled. Work is continuing in this regard in order to improve services available across the health system for this chronic disease. It is also important to focus on prevention of chronic diseases, which is a core plank of the Government's public health strategy, particularly in tackling obesity.

The special action group on obesity was established by the Minister for Health, Deputy Reilly, as part of Healthy Ireland - a Framework for Improving Health and Well-being. The Healthy Ireland strategy is based on a whole of society approach to health and well-being, which will be delivered. The special action group on obesity will meet regularly with the Minister for Health to progress the prevention agenda. The group is concentrating on a range of measures, including calorie posting in restaurants, healthy eating guidelines including the food pyramid, a sugar sweetened drinks' tax, marketing of food and drink to children, screening and monitoring vending machines in schools, and a collectivity plan.

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