Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

All we have at the moment is negative coverage. Last Wednesday in Cork the Taoiseach opened a new primary care centre. It is 62,000 sq. ft. in size and the largest in the country. There are 12 general practitioners, GPs, physiotherapists, mental health teams and dieticians in this brand new centre, but not one square inch of coverage was given to it by any of the media outlets, even though there was a big media contingent in the city. Whether people like it, things are happening.Mr. Justice Cross referred to screening in a particular case last week and decided, in the context of the judgment handed down, that the appropriate test to apply is that there should be absolute confidence in the results laboratories provide. This raises the possibility of long-term problems for screening programmes. Will laboratories and the relevant supports for services now seek indemnities from the State before they take on this work? We should have a debate on the future of screening. Screening does not involve a diagnostic test, but rather an investigation into whether there are issues that have to be dealt with. It does not provide not an absolute and definitive prognosis. There are now major concerns about this matter within the medical profession. For example, is it now the case that a surgeon deciding to carry out a heart operation might be required to be definitely of the view that there is no risk to the patient on whom he or she is operating? Medical practitioners must address this issue as a result of the judgment in question. I am not criticising the judgment, I am merely pointing out that it has set a new legal precedent which should be examined. I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, to the House to discuss the issue in order to ensure that screening programmes continue.