Camillus Glynn (Fianna Fail)

General practitioners have a pivotal role to play in this area, and a number of them are doing that. On the lack of attention Members of my gender pay to their own health, it is important that GPs encourage their patients of a certain age, say those over 40 or 45, to have a colonoscopy in view of the fact that, as was pointed out by a number of speakers, most people are unaware of at least one symptom or any symptoms that can indicate they have bowel cancer. It is important that GPs advise their patients in a certain age category to have a colonoscopy. There are many thousands of people walking around with type 2 diabetes who have no idea they have it and the same situation pertains to bowel cancer. General practitioners should play a role here and the Minister of State should exhort them to encourage patients to arrange a colonoscopy.