Pauline Tully (Sinn Fein)

I want to raise the issue of how people with asthma are not properly cared for. Asthma is seen as an acute illness rather than a chronic condition. That needs to change. We have one of the highest rates of asthma in the world. Some 450,000 people in the country have asthma, and it is predicted that this could rise to 900,000 at some stage. Fifty per cent of those people do not have the condition under control. We also have the second highest asthma mortality rate among the 27 EU countries. It is predicted, on the basis of provisional figures from the Central Statistics Office that as many as 94 people may have died from asthma last year. Hospitalisation rates are quite high as well. Part of the reason is that a survey done recently found that one in four people with asthma had to forego their medication in the past few months because of the cost. They could not afford to buy their medication and thus ended up in hospital.

With access to the right medication and healthcare, we would see significant cost savings to the State. There would be fewer hospitalisations, less unscheduled GP visits, less absenteeism from work and study and less asthma-related deaths. I ask that this be given serious consideration in the context of the budget. We are very close to budget day, and maybe there will be something in the budget for asthma sufferers. If that is not the case, it could be brought to people's attention that something needs to done about this. The subsidising of asthma medication would be welcome. The new combined inhaler costs €85. That is quite steep. Many people cannot afford it and are relying on the blue inhaler only, which is not sufficient to keep the condition under control.

We also need to see a severe asthma registry similar to that which exists for cystic fibrosis sufferers. The Asthma Society of Ireland has stated that it would compile such a register and sustain it, but that it will need funding to do so. There is also a special biologics treatment for those with severe asthma, but it is not currently available in Ireland. It does not work for every asthma sufferer, but it could be introduced and rolled out here. We also need to see capacity increased at the severe asthma clinics.

The final point I will make is that increased investment in the warmer homes scheme would have major benefits. Energy poverty is a huge issue in Ireland, but it does affect those with asthma disproportionately.