Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

I thank Senator Buttimer for raising this issue and I am replying to it on behalf my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney. Asthma is a respiratory disease that affects the airways and which can develop over a period of time into a chronic respiratory condition in some individuals. Respiratory disease is a significant cause of morbidity in both the childhood and adult populations.

The HSE is currently developing a strategy on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which will focus on the prevention and management of this condition as well as many other respiratory conditions, including asthma. This strategy group is multidisciplinary in composition, has Department of Health and Children representation and its work is well advanced in providing a model of care which should reduce the impact of respiratory disease for individuals, their carers and the health system. Asthma is one of the conditions that requires a co-ordinated approach and as such is part of the HSE focus in ensuring that best quality care for people with all forms of chronic respiratory diseases is provided.

In April, the Minister for Health and Children launched a chronic disease policy, which set out how chronic diseases should be prevented and managed. In particular, it set out that disease management programmes should be introduced for these conditions and that the HSE would develop these at operational level. Asthma is one of a number of respiratory diseases which would come into consideration for this policy. In view of these initiatives, the Minister is not considering the development of a separate strategy for asthma but rather will support the ongoing work to develop the HSE strategy as well as existing measures being taken to reduce the burden of respiratory disease.

The Inhale report, which was launched earlier this year, provided comprehensive information on the level of respiratory disease in Ireland. Respiratory disease includes a number of conditions, including lung cancer which is the biggest cancer killer in Ireland, and asthma, a significant cause of morbidity in children. Genetic and environmental factors contribute to the development of asthma, however, there are a number of factors which give rise to respiratory disease especially tobacco smoke, which is the leading preventable cause of death and disability in Ireland.

The report also noted that Ireland continues to have high overall mortality rates from respiratory disease. However, data from the World Health Organisation show that rates of decline in mortality from respiratory conditions in Ireland have been very rapid, particularly in the last ten years, and that the gap with our EU counterparts has closed significantly over this period.

Death rates from chronic lower respiratory disease have decreased by 40% since 1999 compared with a 20% reduction for the EU as a whole. The reduction in mortality from pneumonia has also been steep, although Ireland continues to have double the death rate compared with the EU average. Respiratory conditions remain a very significant cause of chronic illness and of mortality in Ireland, but considerable progress is being made which can be attributed to a variety of causes, including improved medical treatment and better environmental and lifestyle factors such as reduction in smoking.

Approximately 7,000 deaths in Ireland every year are attributable to tobacco related illness. The Smoke Free at Work legislation is acknowledged as an important measure in reducing exposure to tobacco and the respiratory illness that ensues. Tobacco control and reducing both the levels of smoking and the numbers of people taking up smoking continues to be a priority for the Department of Health and Children.