John Gilroy (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I would say to Senator Barrett that some of our bureaucrats are well worth €75,000 a year. I commend Senator Quinn on the Bill, which is important and timely. Indeed, some colleagues referred to it with the awful term "no-brainer". The necessity for the widespread distribution of life-saving equipment to make it available to anyone in our communities who needs it is evident. While we do not and could not disagree with that logic, there are logistical difficulties, as the Minister of State briefing indicates at the last page. In the absence of defibrillation, CPR is not always sufficient to save a life and the converse is also true. There are matters which do not appear obvious at once but become so when we consider the logistics.

The categories of premises referred to in the Bill are widespread and well-thought out. I agree with all of them and might add one or two. The costs appear in the general scheme of things to be very affordable at €1,500 to buy the equipment, €100 to maintain it and €60 for training. The training course involves minimal requirements as most modern defibrillators detect electrical charge themselves and do not operate if such a charge exists in the cardiac tissue. They are rather easy to use. I am chairman of my local soccer club, which has a defibrillator which even I know how to use. It shows that it is certainly not difficult. There are certain legal issues to consider. Perhaps, the legislation could provide for stronger indemnification of users. Last year, we saw a young footballer in England suffer publicly and distressingly a cardiac event. The prompt intervention of medical assistance ensured the young man was walking back to take the acknowledgement of the crowd some two months later. If the equipment and expertise had not been available to him, he would probably not have survived. He said so himself.

There are one or two things that might be added to the Bill, though they present their own difficulties. There are suggestions that can be made as to where else we might place defibrillators. The governing bodies of some sporting organisations might not thank me for certain suggestions. We often think when we hear about the use of defibrillators of the high profile cases of young people who die unexpectedly. The Minister of State has reminded us that 5,000 people per year lose their lives due to cardiac events. We must broaden our thinking beyond what is immediately obvious. The governing bodies of sporting organisations might well have a role to play. It was put to me some time ago that it would be a good idea if all referees were trained in the use of defibrillators. What would happen if one had a defibrillator in one's clubhouse on a Sunday morning during which a small soccer match with three or four spectators was taking place? I know such scenarios well. In those circumstances, there might be no one present who is trained in the use of the defibrillator. Lack of knowledge and a fear of doing more harm than good might mean the defibrillator was not used where it could have helped. It would be a good idea to train all referees. It might not be of use during training but when a game is being played, a referee is always present. Perhaps, we could look at that.

The Minister has indicated that he is prepared to accept the Bill, which I welcome. It is a great idea. Like my colleagues, I recognise that there is a complexity attached to this which might require further consideration. As Senator Quinn and Senator O'Brien have said, such consideration would not take a great deal of time. There information is there which is why we should get on and implement it. I commend Senator Quinn and welcome the Bill, which the Labour Party supports fully.