Feargal Quinn (Independent)

I support Senator McFadden's comments on today's 1916 commemoration ceremony. I have attended it on several occasions but found this year's event to be particularly moving because of the remarks of the Bishop of Down and Connor, the Rev. Noel Treanor. Every time he mentioned "education" he also mentioned "research". The success we enjoyed in the economy was due to a number of factors, of which research was one but it played an important part. Unfortunately, it no longer appears to be at the leading edge of education. We discuss second and third level but we should also be speaking about fourth level education because that is what gave us our advantage.

In Britain and Denmark, a home testing kit has been developed in the fight against bowel cancer. This is a useful development and one we should seriously consider. The Minister for Health and Children has stated that she intends to introduce a scheme but it will be limited to hospitals and begin in 2012. I urge her to investigate what is being done in other countries at a much lower cost. They have a system for getting things done, mainly for those who are open to the dangers of this disease. I gather the success rate for treating bowel cancer is approximately 90% if it is caught early enough. We could do something about this disease with a comparatively limited amount of investment.