Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I join others who have said the cervical smear issue constitutes a huge tragedy and is quite dreadful. It will be addressed later by the Fine Gael spokesperson on health, Senator Colm Burke, the Leader of the House and others in the Fine Gael Seanad group.

I raise another health related issue. Sadly, each health issue has stand-alone importance. I want to speak about the 12,000 people who are living with Parkinson's disease. There is an excellent branch of the Parkinson's Association of Ireland in my county which is home to 200 sufferers. It is a hugely difficult disease for the individuals affected and their families. The Parkinson's Association of Ireland has 19 branches nationwide. It employs a CEO and an administrator and runs a helpline. It receives no direct funding from the State, unlike several other support groups for those affected by various degenerative neurological conditions. A nationwide Parkinson's disease nurse specialist service which has proved to be worthwhile needs to be supported. The availability of more nurses would reduce the number of inpatient stays in dealing with problems early. There are five such posts, one of which has been vacant for months. It is about to be filled by a part-time nurse specialist, but more specialist nurses must be recruited to cover all areas of the country and provide essential services for those with Parkinson's disease who have the same rights as any other group. It is disgraceful that I even have to raise the matter in the House. Deep brain stimulation surgery can greatly alleviate the symptoms of the disease for some patients, but it is not available in Ireland. This means that patients have to travel abroad for pre-surgery screening, surgery and follow-up care. These are the three central issues of concern for persons with Parkinson's disease and the Parkinson's Association of Ireland.I ask the Leader to bring the concerns of this House - I know my own concerns are shared by everyone here - to the Minister for Health, Deputy Simon Harris, and to facilitate a debate on this issue in the future. I also ask the Leader to publicly support this important cause. There are huge issues across health. My colleagues will shortly address tragic ones. This issue, however, cannot be lost in the midst of them.