Gerald Nash (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I wish to be associated with the remarks on the great loss of the wonderful contemporary Irish playwright, Tom Murphy. He is a loss to the Irish arts community, Irish culture and the Irish nation. It is the job of a playwright to hold a mirror up to the nation and to give expression to the nation and, indeed, the dispossessed and marginalised in a nation. Tom Murphy did that skilfully and successfully as one of Ireland's finest contemporary playwrights.

This is also my first opportunity to congratulate Senators Marshall and Lawlor on their election to the House. I congratulate my colleague, Senator Lawlor, in particular as I worked with him in the previous Dáil. He is a great addition to this House and I wish him every success during his term here.

Next Saturday is World Inflammatory Bowel Disease Day. Inflammatory bowel disease, IBD, covers the conditions known as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and approximately 20,000 people in this country are living with IBD. I am one of them but, thankfully, I have been well and healthy for some time.

One way of avoiding lengthy and often avoidable hospital stays is to appoint what are known as IBD specialist nurses. The Irish Society for Colitis and Crohn's Disease had a meeting with the Minister for Health six months ago to seek a commitment from him to appoint 14 additional inflammatory bowel disease expert nurses to assist patients in the better management of their condition and to keep them out of hospital. A statement was made by the HSE, and by the Minister to the best of my recollection, in November last year that 120 additional advanced nurse practitioners would be appointed. Some of those nurses have been appointed, but to different disciplines.

I ask the House to support me and the Irish Society for Colitis and Crohn's Disease in calling for the appointment of 14 additional inflammatory bowel disease nurses to help the 20,000 IBD patients across the country to manage their conditions better and to keep them out of hospital. Many Members of the House will be familiar with this debilitating condition which can keep people out of work for a long time and affects families and relationships. This is a no-brainer. It makes vast economic sense. For a small investment we can engage double the current number of inflammatory bowel disease nurses and ensure there is a proper regional spread across the country. It would be timely, in advance of the celebration of World IBD Day next Saturday, if the Minister would make a statement committing to doubling the number of IBD nurses in the country to assist the growing number of patients with IBD.