Feargal Quinn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I express my appreciation to the Minister of State and the Minister for Health, Deputy Reilly, for accepting the Bill, and to everyone who has spoken. It has been an eye-opener to hear the words and experiences of others.

The Bill would not have come about if I had not gotten a lot of help. I am delighted to see some members of the Irish Heart Foundation are here. I commend Chris Macey, Sarah Cane and Gearóid O Man. They have been very supportive of the Bill, as was the Bills Office which gave me a great deal of help. Brian Hunt put his heart and soul behind drafting the Bill and my assistant Anne O Broin played a very large part in this. It would not have been enough without the wholehearted support we have had today. I greatly appreciate all of those who have contributed.

The ideas which have come from so many Members will help a great deal in making the Bill capable of being enacted as early as possible. Senator van Turnhout said we should make sure that during the summer, all the references the Minister made to having assessments done will be completed and, it is to be hoped, by September we could get it moving. It is a non-contentious Bill and has 100% approval. We need to make sure it is passed on that basis.

I have a daughter living in France who mentioned to me that there is a sign indicating the presence of a defibrillator outside every town hall and gendarmerie. A central piece of law did not introduce that policy, rather, each individual town decided on it with the enthusiasm of the townspeople. It is possible to have them in commercial businesses. If one shop has one and its competitor does not, it is an added advantage. The cost is comparatively small; I understand it is approximately €1,500 initially and €100 per year to maintain. People have to be trained, which costs between €60 and €100 per person. The cost of equipment and training six people would be approximately €2,000.

An employee in one of my supermarkets was 25 years of age, fit, healthy, energetic and in the gym on his day off when he died. I do not know whether a defibrillator was available but if there was it did not get to him quickly enough. I went to the funeral and met his parents and brothers and sisters. Senator Power spoke of the young man in a club she attended.

There is an urgency about the Bill. The Construction Contracts Bill was initiated three years ago, and went through the Seanad and most Stages in the Dáil. The Minister, Deputy Reilly, showed enthusiasm for this Bill. It will move and will be passed very quickly. The Minister said he would not oppose it. He will act with speed and commitment, and it will become law. Whether this Bill or another system is put into operation, the fact it has been discussed on Second Stage today is positive. Let us make sure we can get it to Committee Stage as soon as we can.

There have been many helpful contributions. Senator van Turnhout referred to the VAT anomaly, of which I was not aware. We have learned a great deal. I appreciate those who have supported the Bill. It is a reminder of the value of this House that it is possible to introduce legislation. This is not contentious and has broad support. The Irish Heart Foundation is very supportive of the Bill and its potential to save lives. The sooner we can enact it the better.

I do not think cost is a significant concern because it is comparatively small, in particular when compared with the value of a life. As a country we value the lives of our citizens and this is something we can do. There are some public private partnerships in place. I refer to the dublinbikes scheme which has done well. Defibrillators could be made available in exchange for advertising space or through sponsorship. There are innovative ways to introduce them. Manitoba was mentioned as one of the first regions to do something about this issue. We can learn a lot from what has happened. In looking at the next step, we do not have to invent something new or spend a lot of time on commercial considerations.