James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle for affording me time to raise this important issue, namely, the need for the Minister for Health and Children to provide core funding for the continuation and expansion of osteoporosis services. These services are currently provided by the Irish Osteoporosis Society, IOS, which is a charitable organisation. It will be forced to close without such funding, leaving the public and health professionals without a point of contact that is invaluable in terms of accessing information on osteoporosis treatment and prevention.

The Irish Osteoporosis Society is the only organisation in the country dedicated to assisting those with osteoporosis. It runs a help line, distributes information leaflets, runs conferences for health care professionals and organises approximately 130 lectures a year for the general public. It raises awareness of osteoporosis through television, radio and poster advertising campaigns as it is an extremely debilitating disease with which many people are unfamiliar until they the are diagnosed as having it.

One in five men and one in three women — one in two women over 65 years of age — as well as many children are affected by osteoporosis. It is, however, preventable and treatable in the majority of people but early diagnosis and treatment are essential. Since the disease is silent, a dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, DXA, scan of the spine is the only recommended method of detection.

Osteoporosis is the most common bone disease affecting people throughout the world and its widespread occurrence led to the publication of EU regulations in 1998 that put the onus on member state governments to fund osteoporosis charities. This year the Government did just that but the importance of the continuation and extension of such funding cannot be emphasised too strongly. Not only does such investment benefit the suffers of this disease but it is an exercise in joined-up thinking as money spent on prevention and early intervention can save millions in hospital costs and reduce the occupancy of hospital beds. If more funds were available to the Irish Osteoporosis Society, the admittance of low trauma fractures to hospital accident and emergency departments would also be significantly reduced.

Currently the IOS operates with a staff of two to cover the entire country and this has led to their being forced to work a 72-hour week to keep up with the volume of demand. The society is finding it extremely difficult to attract new personnel as it is impossible to attract people with the right experience when there is no guarantee that the organisation will still be operating in a year's time.

I ask the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Hoctor, to make a commitment to funding this organisation as it performs a valuable role in the prevention and detection of a crippling disease that creeps up unheralded on so many unsuspecting people. Anything that can be done to prevent a disease that can, with hard work and funding, be prevented must be done. Essential funding will be the life blood of the Irish Osteoporosis Society and will allow its valuable work to prevent a disease that is increasing daily due to the stresses of modern life to continue. There may be a perception that this is a condition suffered only by the elderly but it knows no age barriers and we are all at risk.

I plead with the Minister of State to continue funding this important society as it provides a valuable service to the elderly and not so elderly in society. Many sufferers of osteoporosis have approached me recently with their concerns regarding the Government's low funding of the Irish Osteoporosis Society.

Máire Hoctor (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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I am pleased to have the opportunity to discuss this matter. I reaffirm the Government's commitment to services for older people and outline the context of this matter with regard to the Irish Osteoporosis Society.

Osteoporosis can affect men, women and children of all ages. Many cases of osteoporosis remain undetected until a fracture is sustained and it is difficult to give the exact incidence and prevalence rates of the disease in Ireland. However, osteoporosis is currently estimated to affect one in three women and one in five men over 50 years of age. Furthermore, loss of bone density, symptomatic of the potential to develop osteoporosis, occurs with advancing age. In addition, rates of fracture increase markedly with age, thus giving rise to significant morbidity and mortality.

The Department has supported the National Council on Ageing and Older People and the Health Service Executive in the establishment of a steering committee to oversee the development of a strategy to prevent falls and fractures in the ageing population. This committee is chaired by the HSE and it is understood that a sub-group has been established to examine the area of osteoporosis.

The IOS was established in 1996 with the overall aims of reducing the incidence of osteoporosis and promoting bone health. It provides information to the public and health professionals on all aspects of the disease and offers support to people with osteoporosis and those at risk from the disease.

The former Northern Area Health Board, and subsequently the HSE, met with the IOS in recent years to agree funding for various initiatives undertaken by the society. This resulted in grant aid of €100,000 in both 2004 and 2005 and €128,000 in 2006. A service level agreement was reached between the society and the HSE for 2007, which included the provision of €250,000 once-off funding towards certain objectives. These included the development of an osteoporosis and bone health lo-call telephone help line and information database and the launch of a new website by October 2007. Another objective was to support the earlier detection and prevention of osteoporosis in the wider community by educating and informing health care professionals, co-ordinating a range of awareness campaigns at national and local level and availing of opportunities to promote osteoporosis in other generic health materials.

In the wider context, the development of services for older people continues to be a priority for this Government. This is reflected, for example, in the funding committed to the sector in the budgets of 2006 and 2007 where over €400 million was provided for much needed initiatives across a range of services nationally. The recent budget provided an additional €135 million for next year, €110 million of which is in respect of A Fair Deal, the new nursing home support scheme, and €25 million for complementary community support services for older people and palliative care.

As the Deputy is aware the Health Act 2004 provides the HSE with responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services. As a statutory body the provision of these services, including the delivery of services by agreement with voluntary and community organisations such as the Irish Osteoporosis Society, is a matter for the HSE. The Deputy will also appreciate that funding for health services has been provided as part of the HSE's overall Vote for health and personal social services this year. The allocation of resources is a matter for the HSE in accordance with the overall priorities for particular services, as set out in its service plan.

I am satisfied that the HSE recognises the valuable work undertaken by the Irish Osteoporosis Society and makes every effort to assist them in line with resources available. This is reflected in a practical way in the funding given to the IOS in recent years. The question of any revised funding arrangements would be a matter, in the first instance, for the HSE in the light of its overall competing demands and through any new agreement with the society on future service provision.