Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

On the further roll-out of cancer screening programmes, it is advised the next should be for colorectal cancer. This is already being prepared for, after the roll-out of cervical cancer screening.

Oral cancer is never commented on. It generally affects lower socioeconomic groups, particularly people who smoke and drink to excess. I was not aware until recently that there are 300 cases per year, an incredible number, particularly when one considers the 76 deaths per annum from cervical cancer. There are many cancers that we do not hear about in the media but which affect a large number of people. The emphasis of the centres will be on early diagnosis and, where appropriate, early treatment.

The health services budget comprises mainly salaries, approximately 75% to 80% of it. Service means employing people. The health services employ one in three public servants and expend a quarter of the budget spent on running the State. Every time a new service is rolled out, whether it is speech and language therapy or primary care, it involves employing more people. The public health system alone is labour intensive and employs 130,000 people. Some €15 billion from the public purse is spent on public health, and €3 billion to €4 billion from private sources. Up to 8.9% of national income is spent on health services, the OECD average, although 11% of the population is over 65 years of age as against 17% across the OECD. We are not getting the dividend for a young population. Hopefully, the health reform programme will get that dividend.

I have commented many times on the nuns who ran the hospitals. People were afraid of them. A consultant told me recently that the only person he was afraid of when training in the Mater Hospital was the matron, a nun. We do not want people to be afraid of anyone in the health services but the nuns worked hard. We must get everyone working on this. Before I am accused of having anything against them, we cannot get the nuns back simply because they are no longer available.

There is no excuse for a hospital or any health provision facility for not operating to the highest possible standards with the investments being made in them. This includes the case of the rat at the Oranmore health centre about which I was interviewed last Friday and of which I was not aware.