Ray Butler (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is great to see everybody doing "Operation Transformation" after Christmas. I want to talk about diabetes and getting regular check-ups. More than 200,000 people in Ireland have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and I would safely suggest that another 200,000 to 300,000 people do not know they have diabetes. As the World Health Organization last year stated that by 2030, more than 40 million people will have died worldwide from diabetes-related problems, it is going to be huge as we move forward. A survey undertaken in the midlands over a five-year period found one striking piece of information, namely, 61% of those who are diagnosed with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes will make life-changing decisions to put their life back on track as best they can, which is huge.

The Minister said last year he was thinking of funding free blood check-ups for diabetes and putting in place some type of system. I have seen Diabetes Ireland carry out mobile check-ups such as those which took place in Navan last year outside Lidl. The event was sponsored by Lidl and was attended by many people. I ask the Minister to give Diabetes Ireland the money to put more of these mobile units on the road countrywide.