Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)

I welcome and the Minister of State and thank the Cathaoirleach for allowing this matter to be raised on the Adjournment. Senators have been contacted by members of the public and particularly the group Diabetes Action. I requested that the Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly, outline the access to treatment for children and adolescents with diabetes and the plans to reorganise diabetic paediatric services in the HSE west area and throughout the country.

Diabetes Action launched an advocacy campaign entitled, Half the Services, Half the Care, in September 2010. Other Members, namely, Senators Marc MacSharry and Brian Ó Domhnaill, asked to be associated with this request, as they have also been contacted by the organisation. The central message of the campaign is that people with diabetes have not been helped sufficiently by general health policy. Rather, various issues need to be addressed in a national diabetes strategy. If the Government implements strategic policies, we may improve dramatically the health of people with diabetes, while saving millions of euro through preventing health complications for such persons in the next decade.

In 2008 the report of the diabetes expert advisory group identified that service provision in this area was inadequate and proposed a comprehensive regional plan to improve the service provided. In the interests of balancing the available resources, it recommended that the majority of patients with type 1 diabetes requiring care, including all paediatric and adolescent diabetes cases, should be treated in hospital diabetes centres. Approximately 70 children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes are living in Roscommon-Leitrim South. While many are cared for locally, many others must travel to Dublin to access intensive treatment because the local paediatric diabetes team is under-resourced. Paediatric diabetes services in Dublin have been inundated with referrals, while local services remain underdeveloped and underutilised. Children with diabetes should be seen four or five times a year in hospital to help to limit the damage high blood sugar levels can cause to the eyes, kidneys, nerves and smaller blood vessels in adulthood, but they are not seen as often as they should be.

Diabetes Action proposes a reorganisation of diabetes paediatric services with eight networks, one of which would serve 350 to 400 children with diabetes in counties Galway, Mayo and Roscommon in order that intensive therapies could be accessed locally. It also proposes a network to serve 200 children with diabetes in counties Sligo, Donegal and Leitrim. The campaign is well organised and the Minister of State is aware of it. I note the response sent to me by Mr. J. J. O'Rourke, PRO for the Leitrim branch of the Diabetes Federation of Ireland. He requested that I raise the matter in Seanad Éireann to highlight an important aspect, the incidence of which is increasing. We can take action to provide a service in the region in the most economic way possible.

I again thank the Minister of State for attending and the Cathaoirleach for allowing me to raise this matter.