Geraldine Feeney (Fianna Fail)

I wish I could have ran a marathon. I ran a mini-marathon this year and that is good when one is aged 50 years or over.

Will the Minister of State consider the matter from the following perspective? Hospital beds are being taken up for an average of 21 days; earnings are being lost and sufferers' jobs are being affected. When people are out of work, it has a significant impact on the social welfare budget. This is all about saving lives and is a win-win. The amount of €239 million spent in treating complications could be reduced to as little as €1.56 million if we were to roll out a national screening programme.