Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister of State for coming today to discuss this all-important motion. I compliment Senator Craughwell and the Independent Senators, but also Senator Craughwell's daughter, Rebecca, whom I welcome, and the consultants and staff from the Dublin Dental University Hospital. It shows how concerned they are about it that there are so many people here today.

On behalf of the Fine Gael, I thank the Minister of State for coming here. As the man says, "I know there is a lot done and a lot more to do." Certainly, his commitment and the commitment of the Government not to oppose the motion is important.

I thank Ms Samantha Long who, on behalf of the Independent Senators, sent the briefing note. I was just reading it. I am not sure whether the Minister of State has seen it. In fact, the majority of people who are diagnosed live on the east coast of Ireland but on the west coast, there are low numbers of people being diagnosed. One would have to question whether there is something there that needs to be researched and whether there is something that causes this. Certainly, the HPV vaccine has been highlighted. It is important that a message go out from here that it is important for people to take up the vaccine when they are being offered it. When people go through the trauma, it is not only affects those who are diagnosed, but also their family and friends as well. It is brave of Senator Craughwell to highlight this issue because his family have been through it themselves. As Senator Costello said, there is nothing better than the lived experience. That is what is shining through here today.

While there has been a lot of investment in it in the past and the Minister of State spoke about what will happen into the future and the campaign, Smile agus Sláinte, that has been initiated, it is important that we support the people who are going through this process in every way. There is the shock of being diagnosed. When Senator Costello referred to the fact that her tooth fell out, we can only imagine what people with throat and neck cancer experience. I have two friends who were diagnosed with something similar. One lost their voice box. The other had to get implants and get different things done, along with reconstruction. While, to this day, you possibly would not notice it other than up close, the person always knows that they had to have the surgery. It is brave of anybody who comes forward to speak about their personal stories.

As a government, it is great that we are not opposing this. I welcome every support that can be put in for the patients but also the people that are offering the service and the different surgeries and expertise, because I read in the report that there is only one surgeon looking after people in this way but there are 780 people a year presenting themselves. We need to look at ways of expanding the service and how we can roll out the programme to support people, but to support the staff who are working in this situation as well. Those staff need every support, from financial support to maybe resources and equipment. I am sure there are different ways that the Department can look at supporting it.

Overall, I am in favour of this. I thank Rebecca and everybody else for their bravery in coming forward to highlight this. All the resources need to be put in place as soon as possible. One message that should go out is that the HPV vaccine is so important to young children. People became maybe lax about or did not believe in vaccines, but when they see the proof that this could help with the situation. All it can do is defer or maybe help with it, but we need to encourage as many people as possible to take these services when they are being offered them.