Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Diabetes is a condition that affects a large proportion of the population, numbering some 190,000. It is a condition that involves a great deal of management and it can involve a great deal of hardship. It involves invasive finger-prick tests and so on. I attended a protest at Cork University Hospital, CUH, yesterday morning, led by the parents and families of children and teenagers who have type 1 diabetes. Their frustration has been building up over some time at the lack of services and the difficulty they have in seeing a consultant at CUH. They were full of praise for the support they got from nurses in the hospital and for the consultant, Dr. Stephen O'Riordan, who is alone responsible for some 400 children and teenagers with type 1 diabetes, as well as for all sorts of other endocrinology disciplines such as Addison's disease, thyroid disease and coeliac conditions. More than 200 children are currently waiting to be seen in CUH, of whom almost 30 have been waiting for more than a year, with many more waiting between six and eight months. International best practice recommends that children and teenagers with type 1 diabetes be seen every three to four months but the HSE is falling far short of that in respect of these children in Cork and the surrounding areas.

One of the parents told The Evening Echoin Cork that her son, who suffers from type 1 diabetes, had not seen a consultant endocrinologist for almost two years, since one of the consultants retired. That is not good enough. These parents feel let down and they are worried. There is evidence that suggests the better care one receives when young, the less likely one's condition will deteriorate or that there will be further complications later in life so it is vitally important that these children and teenagers get a quality service when they are young. They are not getting that at the moment and this is causing a great deal of anxiety and worry for their parents, as well as discomfort for the children and teenagers themselves.

The issue of psychological support was also raised. This condition can be traumatic and can cause stress for children but it has been difficult for them to get support in this area too. There is clearly a need to fill additional consultant positions in CUH. Children are not being seen often enough and not getting the support they deserve. What will Minister do to ensure the waiting lists are reduced and a better service is provided?

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