Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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161. To ask the Minister for Health if a reply will issue to correspondence from a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40029/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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A response will issue to the individual in relation to this issue which will outline recent developments in relation to Newborn Screening.   

Currently all newborn babies (between 3 and 5 days old) are offered newborn bloodspot screening (generally known as the ‘heel prick’) through their parents/guardians for eight very rare conditions that are treatable if detected early in life.

Ireland has traditionally evaluated the case for commencing or expanding a national screening programme against the internationally accepted criteria (collectively known as Wilson Junger criteria). The evidence bar for commencing a screening programme should and must remain high.  This evidence threshold ensures that we can be as confident as we can be that the programme in question is effective, quality assured and operating to safe standards for the population. We must continue with a robust, methodologically sound and detailed analysis of the evidence in each case.

A National Screening Committee will be established and will hold its first meeting before the end of 2019, as per recommendation 5, contained within the Scally Review (2018).  The Committee’s role will be to undertake an independent assessment of the evidence for screening for a particular condition against internationally accepted criteria and make recommendations accordingly. 

I appointed Professor Niall O’Higgins as Chair of the Committee in July and asked that, as part of its initial body of work, the Committee prioritise a review of the national newborn blood-spot screening programme and look specifically at how Ireland should best proceed with an expansion in line with international best practice.  Any future potential changes to the National Newborn Bloodspot Screening Programme will be incorporated as part of the Committee’s work programme.

Carol Nolan (Offaly, Independent)
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162. To ask the Minister for Health if he will expand newborn screening tests to detect conditions such as MLD; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40031/19]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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193. To ask the Minister for Health if he will consider expanding newborn screening; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40142/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 162 and 193 together.

Currently all newborn babies (between 3 and 5 days old) are offered newborn bloodspot screening (generally known as the ‘heel prick’) through their parents/guardians for eight very rare conditions that are treatable if detected early in life.

A National Screening Committee is being established and will hold its first meeting before the end of 2019, as per recommendation 5, contained within the Scally Review (2018). The Committee’s role will be to undertake an independent assessment of the evidence for screening for a particular condition against internationally accepted criteria and make recommendations accordingly.

I appointed Professor Niall O’Higgins as Chair of the Committee in July and asked that, as part of its initial body of work, the Committee prioritise a review of the national newborn blood-spot screening programme and look specifically at how Ireland should best proceed with an expansion in line with international best practice.

Carol Nolan (Offaly, Independent)
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163. To ask the Minister for Health if he has engaged with stakeholders regarding the expansion of newborn screening tests since his appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40032/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Ireland has a well-established newborn screening programme. Newborn screening, more commonly known as the heel-prick test, is offered in respect of all newborn babies in Ireland through their parents or legal guardians when they are between three and five days old.

We have expanded the programme in recent years. Up to December 2018, we were screening for six conditions. Since then, the test has been expanded to screen for eight conditions.

I or my officials regularly meet with rare disease advocacy groups and families directly invested in the topic of the expansion of the Newborn Screening Programme. 

A National Screening Committee will be established and will hold its first meeting before the end of 2019, as per recommendation 5, contained within the Scally Review (2018).  The Committee’s role will be to undertake an independent assessment of the evidence for screening for a particular condition against internationally accepted criteria and make recommendations accordingly. 

I appointed Professor Niall O’Higgins as Chair of the Committee in July and asked that, as part of its initial body of work, the Committee prioritise a review of the national newborn blood-spot screening programme and look specifically at how Ireland should best proceed with an expansion in line with international best practice.  Any future potential changes to the National Newborn Bloodspot Screening Programme will be incorporated as part of the Committee’s work programme.