Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The national cancer screening service commenced the diabetic retinopathy screening programme last March. The objective is that 30% of eligible patients will be called for screening in the current year, while the remaining 70% will be called next year.

As regards the diabetic nurse specialists to which Deputy Ó Caoláin referred, my information is that most of the posts - as part of the integrated care package for patients - have been filled. Work is continuing in order to improve the services available for this chronic disease across the health system.

I thank Deputy Ó Caoláin for raising the issue because today is World Diabetes Day. It is appropriate that we should focus on this matter. A plan is in place to deal with this issue, which is a growing problem. It is a major problem for the health service. There is an approach as to how to deal with it and progress is being made on implementing that approach. I assure the House that the Minister for Health is absolutely committed to continuing with that work. I am sure he will be happy to report either directly to the House or to the Committee on Health and Children on the progress that he is making in this regard.

It is appropriate that this matter is being raised on World Diabetes Day but, given it seriousness, we should return to it. We all understand that it is a growing problem which we will debate again collectively either in this Chamber or at the Committee on Health and Children.

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