Sheila Terry (Fine Gael)

Many organisations are waiting patiently to see if the Minister for Finance will give them additional funding in today's budget. It is unfair to raise the profile of any single organisation. I would like to discuss the needs of people with cystic fibrosis, however, as they have not been mentioned in the House for a long time and have been neglected over the years. A review that was published last year highlighted some dangerous practices in respect of the treatment of cystic fibrosis sufferers. Approximately €5 million was allocated in last year's budget for improvements in the treatment centres which deal with such people, but that was a very small amount of money. Much more needs to be done to provide adequate staffing levels and better isolation facilities in the treatment units. If people with cystic fibrosis, who are really sick, cannot avail of the isolation units they need, they can easily pick up other illnesses such as MRSA, about which we have been hearing a great deal. I hope a significant budget will be allocated to the Minister for Health and Children to allow her to give cystic fibrosis sufferers the treatment and staffing levels they deserve.