Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 140: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she is aware that this State has the highest incidence of cystic fibrosis in the world, with a higher death rate than neighbouring countries and that this situation needs immediate action. [13577/05]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 141: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the steps she will take to address the dangerously inadequate staffing levels in the cystic fibrosis centres. [13578/05]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 142: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the steps she is taking to design and build a small number of highly staffed and fully supported cystic fibrosis centres with reasonable geographical access including the availability of consultant gastroenterology, endocrinology and ENT staff; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13579/05]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 143: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children when she or her officials last met with the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland; and the outcome of the meeting. [13580/05]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 144: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the funding given by her Department each year to the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland in the past five years. [13581/05]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 145: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the report of the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland, Towards a Better Service; the steps which have been taken to address the recommendations of the association contained therein; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13582/05]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 146: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her views on whether the existing cystic fibrosis centres should remain and should be enhanced through linking their adult and children's units; her further views on whether a neonatal screening programme should be established thereafter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13583/05]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 147: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her views on the recommendation in the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland report, Towards a Better Service, that tertiary paediatric services be developed; and the steps which have been taken to realise this. [13584/05]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 148: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her views on whether there is an excessive burden on the cystic fibrosis services at St. Vincent's Hospital, Dublin, which could be alleviated by the development of adult provision outside Dublin to create a broad geographical service coverage. [13585/05]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 149: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the steps being taken to ensure all beds for cystic fibrosis are within single rooms in hospitals with [i]en suite[/i] toilet facilities to prevent the transmission of dangerous organisms. [13586/05]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 150: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if consideration has been given to the provision of a microbiology reference library to support and inform the cystic fibrosis centres and to impart advances in knowledge and treatment, and to a cystic fibrosis registry being maintained and developed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13587/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 140 to 150, inclusive, together.

The Health Act 2004 provided for the Health Service Executive, which was established on 1 January 2005. Under the Act, the executive has the responsibility to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. This includes responsibility for health services for patients with cystic fibrosis.

The Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland commissioned Dr. Ronnie Pollock to review the existing hospital services for people with cystic fibrosis in the context of accepted international standards. Dr. Pollock's report, which was officially launched earlier this year, provides an assessment of need for current and future cystic fibrosis patients and makes a number of recommendations with regard to the numbers and categories of staff appropriate for a modern, multidisciplinary cystic fibrosis service. The report concludes that cystic fibrosis care should be provided in fewer units of a more significant size to ensure viable staffing levels can be maintained and that staff have a sufficient workload to enable them to maintain their skills level.

Following the publication of the Pollock report, the Health Service Executive met with the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland and agreed to the latter's request to establish a working group to consider the report's recommendations. The group, which is multidisciplinary in its composition, is chaired by the HSE. The group held its first meeting in early April and I understand it hopes to complete its work over the next few months.

My Department is also advised that, in parallel with the work of the group, the Health Service Executive is pursuing with St. Vincent's Hospital, which is designated as the national adult cystic fibrosis centre, proposals for improvement to the physical infrastructure of the centre. Finally, I met in recent weeks with representatives of the Irish Donor Network, including the chief executive of the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland, to discuss issues relating to organ transplantation services.