Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

If the reports were published and the recommendations acted upon, at least we would have a start to ensuring that we have a proper genetic service in this country. The important issue is that genetics and genomic medicine have developed rapidly over the last five years and will continue to do so. We need to have a foundation laid as medical science and technologies advance in the whole area of genetics. We need to resource that to ensure there is confidence, particularly in the area of rare diseases, and that patients and service users will have access to the best genetic centre possible. That is something we need to move very quickly on.

There is a feeling among the staff that the concerns of clinicians and staff are not being listened to, that the centre is being ignored and not being adequately resourced, that it is being undermined by the fact that the reports and recommendations have not been acted upon, and that it is being starved of funding. Could the Minister at some stage commit to the genetic centre and to ensuring that it has adequate resources based on international best practice in comparable other countries where they have made far more resources available? That would be a welcome start and would, in some way, give confidence to clinicians and staff that we are serious about funding a genetic centre and about using the advances in medical science and technologies to ensure people can have a better quality of life in this country.

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