Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 180: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the percentage of children with asthma here; the percentage increase in asthma cases in the last decade; the steps she is taking to deal with the issue. [6304/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Asthma is not a notifiable disease and consequently, detailed information on its incidence in the general population is not routinely available. From the research available in this country, however, asthma is a common childhood condition with approximately 10% having experienced an attack of asthma. Similar to other European countries, the level of asthma has increased and is now approximately 20% in young teenagers.

There are a variety of risk factors for asthma including environmental and genetic factors. Ireland's involvement included the European Union's Joint Research Council initiative on childhood asthma and the co-ordination of an EU approach under the Irish Presidency of the European Union in 2004. Ireland has participated in international prevalence studies on asthma and there is ongoing work on the development of information systems on asthma.

In recent years, the Health Research Board has funded a number of proposals relating to asthma and respiratory disease. Legislation on smoking at work has also provided greater protection from toxic tobacco smoke which contributes to asthma.