Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 211: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the initiatives she proposes to take to deal with the problems of gastroenteritis in the community which is a preventable disease and which according to recent research by Trinity College Dublin, is costing Ireland more than €135 million each year. [14193/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The study — The Economic Impact of Gastroenteritis on the Island of Ireland — to which the Deputy refers was commissioned by the Food Safety Promotion Board (FSPB). The study showed that approximately 10% of the people on the island report suffering symptoms of gastroenteritis each year. This is in line with estimated rates from other studies in the EU.

The study has estimated the economic burden of gastroenteritis at €135 million, of which €101 million is borne in the South. These estimates include the costs of GP and hospital services where required and also costs borne by individuals, including estimates of the valuation of time off work.

In order to combat this disease a number of initiatives have been developed across Government Departments and agencies including the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, the Environmental Protection Agency and the FSPB. These initiatives include training and guidance documents for healthcare workers, industry and the hospitality sector. Other initiatives such as the slaughter-out policy for Irish poultry flocks have been effective in addressing this issue. There is evidence of the impact of these initiatives such as reduced numbers of salmonella cases in recent years who acquire the disease at home and a reduction in the average size of outbreaks.

A sample initiative is the FSPB's promotion of food safety in schools and educational settings in order to communicate and train young people in adequate food hygiene. It has developed a transition year programme called "safefood for life". This is an educational resource, produced in conjunction with the Environmental Health Officers Association, to train students on simple food hygiene messages and which certifies them to a basic hygiene standard so as to allow them to work in food premises. At primary school level educational drama resources have been developed and disseminated to emphasise hand hygiene.