Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I had not planned to speak today but it is important that I put on record my appreciation for the motion moved by Senator Mary Ann O'Brien. Sometimes we get so bogged down in our own little circles. I was in the Chair for some time and I was not sure what the motion was about. The motion is worthwhile and I thank her for tabling it.

Thankfully, I have never smoked in my life and I have not had asthma. A son of mine who is now an adult has suffered from asthma since he was a small child, yet he has had a successful rowing career and still runs a few marathons. There was a psychological aspect to his asthma because he always had to have his little inhaler in his togs when he rowed, whether it was in the Lee Valley in Cork, Bantry Bay or the international Atlantic Challenge competition. As a parent, one is always conscious of the fact that an asthma attack can strike at any time. As my son grew older he was able to deal with it himself. Thankfully, he seems to have grown out of asthma, particularly once he passed the age of 24 or 25. He is still conscious of it, but asthma sufferers can live a normal life.

The motion calls for more to be done to ensure that people do not die from asthma and that they do not have to run in and out of the accident and emergency department taking up precious hospital time. Asthma is a treatable condition. I listened to Senator Eamonn Coghlan and I am not sure whether asthma is a climate issue. Some people with the condition have found it to be upset by having animals in their homes. Carpets can be another trigger. I took carpets out of the rooms in my family home and replaced them with timber floors. Some of these measures can help the condition. I have a first cousin, who has been resident in America for many years, who suffered intensely from asthma as a child. I remember what happened sometimes on the way home from mass at the nearest church in Kilcrohane, which was over a mountain. I am one of 11 children and myself and my sister used to give my cousin a piggyback when he suffered an asthmatic attack in order to get him home. Once he moved to the United States permanently his asthma disappeared. I met him recently for the first time in 16 years at a funeral and he said that it never bothered him again, so perhaps asthma is affected by climate. We should be cognisant in Ireland that we have a climate that is conducive to asthma, chest conditions and various other ailments. However, there is no magic button to solve the issue.

We have had a worthwhile debate and I thank the Minister of State for coming to the Seanad to debate the issue. In conclusion, I offer my support and thank Senators Mary Ann O'Brien and Power for sharing their experiences, and the same goes for the Asthma Society of Ireland. An asthma attack is very frightening for young children. I have witnessed it and I know, as a parent, that one worries and seeks ways to cope with the condition. Today's motion is very important and I am sure the Minister of State will respond sympathetically. I also thank her for allowing me the grace to attend to another commitment outside this House tonight. I am grateful to have been allowed to say a few words of support on a simple but important issue that the health sector and society has to deal with.