Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)

I congratulate the Minister, Deputy Mary Hanafin, on her appointment as Minister for Social and Family Affairs. I wish her well in her tenure in office and hope she has a successful term there.

I raise the issue of the incidence of asthma and the failure to develop a national asthma strategy. As the Minister will be aware, last Tuesday was World Asthma Day. Ireland has the fourth highest incidence of asthma in the world and an average of 100 asthma-related deaths occur here every year. That is a high figure in the context of incidence of asthma in other OECD countries and other European countries. One in eight, which is approximately 12.5% of our population, suffer from asthma. It would be wrong if we ignored or understated that figure.

I had the pleasure of attending a presentation by the Asthma Society of Ireland in Buswells Hotel last week. The content of the presentation and the stories I heard there made an impression. It is time we focused on the fact that we are talking about people with this condition. Citizens of all ages struggle to come to terms with this illness which can be managed. However, we as a nation could take a lead in Europe by adopting an integrated public health approach to the management of asthma, incorporating the provision of evidence-based care to enable people suffering from asthma to enjoy a good qualify life and have control measures to manage their condition.

The length of stay in hospitals for asthma patients is 3.3 days for people in the age bracket up to 19 years of age, 6.6 days in the 55-69 year age bracket while the number of days trebles for those over the age 75, as one might expect. The cost of providing for those suffering from asthma, which is poorly controlled, can be expensive. Improving asthma control will reduce a burden across the board and investment in prevention will yield cost savings, as the Minister will be aware.

I look forward to the Minister's reply. We need to put this issue on the political agenda.