John Whelan (Labour)

I thank the Minister for coming to the House to address this issue, about which I will make every effort to avoid scaremongering or being sensationalist. Although it had been my understanding that tuberculosis, TB, was a disease that largely had been eradicated from the community, it has been brought to my attention that it is re-emerging and that its incidence in the community is again on the rise. This is a matter about which I am alarmed. While I am making an effort to be careful in the wording of my question, the word "consumption" strikes fear into people's hearts. My maternal grandmother unfortunately died of TB at the age of 37. It was a scourge in the 1950s and Dr. Noel Browne is rightly credited with intervening to largely rid the country of this terrible disease.

The Minister should outline what public health measures are in place to monitor what I understand to be the growing incidence of TB in the community. I refer in particular to schools or other public institutions in which the disease could be contagious and passed on. I am deliberately avoiding the citing of specific examples, although cases have been brought to my attention because I do not wish to cause undue distress or anxiety within the community. However, I refer to specific and real occurrences and not simply to a hypothetical threat. I wish to ascertain the HSE's policies in respect of monitoring, testing and keeping the public informed. It is only fair to make children in schools or people working in other public institutions aware to facilitate check-ups or analysis. I understand people can have latent cells without being aware, thereby possibly passing on the disease to others. Parents and the community at large are entitled to know the present status of TB in the community and to be aware of the HSE's policy with regard to monitoring and control.