Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I join with my colleagues in congratulating fellow Corkman, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Simon Coveney, for the work he has done on CAP reform. It also goes back to his own experience of working in the European Parliament and the mechanism that works in Europe about negotiation and compromise. In achieving that compromise, he has done a good deal for Ireland.

Senator Keane just referred to the proposed destruction of the Guthrie cards which record the result of the heel prick test. Senator Bacik raised this issue last week. Some medical consultants contacted me this morning. They are looking for an immediate meeting with the Minister. I ask that this meeting be arranged. The people in question are Professor John Crowe, the president of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, and other key people who were not consulted when this decision was arrived at by the Department, the HSE and the Data Protection Commissioner. I ask that this meeting be held within the next seven days because 31 March 2013 is the deadline. I have already had an Adjournment debate in this House on the matter. There has been no compromise from the Department. The destruction of these cards will be very significant. We will not be able to get this information back again in 12 months' time if these cards are destroyed. The minimum I am asking for is a meeting within the next seven days between the key players in this area - the Department and HSE and the medical consultants who are very upset that they were not consulted when this decision was arrived at.

I support my colleague, Senator Keane, in again seeking a debate on this matter. She is correct in stating that Denmark, Norway, Sweden and New Zealand have made legislative provision to the effect that these cards cannot be destroyed in their jurisdictions. There is no reason we cannot do likewise or why the Data Protection Commissioner's decision in this regard should be taken as gospel.