Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 182: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her views on whether it makes both medical and economic sense to invest in the prevention of diabetic foot disease and if she will make funding of €1.56 million available to set up a national foot screening programme involving hospital and community diabetes podiatry services. [35190/10]

Áine Brady (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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The diabetic foot screening programme has been prioritised under the Health Service Executive's National Diabetes Programme. This initiative is currently at an advanced planning stage and several meetings have been held between the various stakeholders, including clinical specialists, podiatrists, diabetes specialist nurses and the Diabetes Federation of Ireland. It will provide for the prevention and management of foot ulcers, thereby reducing the number of hospital in-patients beds occupied by patients with foot problems. The programme will also establish referral pathways with rapid access to specialised care within a multi-disciplinary foot-care service. The cost of implementation of the proposed programme will be met from within current resources.