Mary Henry (Independent)

It was disclosed in the press last week that not all genetic tests carried out in a private institution in Galway were accurate. Although it is attached to the university, this is a private institution. It has carried out work for ten years because the national genetics institution in Dublin is flooded with work and is inadequately resourced and staffed. However, the institution in Galway does not employ people with clinical acumen and, therefore, it is like not having people to accurately interpret X-rays for patients. This is a serious situation and I fail to understand why greater note is not taken of the lack of facilities for people with genetic diseases. A young man suffering from cystic fibrosis, who was awaiting a lung transplant, died in the Mater Hospital yesterday. While this is tragic, it is more tragic that, despite the Department of Health and Children establishing a cystic fibrosis group several years ago, which recommended that all newborn children be tested for the disease, nothing has happened, even though the earlier children receive treatment, the better the outcome.

I have read the programme of priorities published by the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children. Will the Leader ask her to come to the House to debate genetic diseases? Sometimes people think this issue is related to abortion or in vitro fertilisation and prenatal diagnosis but that is not the case. It relates to families in which one member has a genetic disease being in a position to find out the likelihood of another child being affected if the parents decide to have more children. People deserve better than they are getting.