Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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138. To ask the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to the introduction of a national diabetes register considering that the lack of a register has made it difficult for policy makers and academics to understand the impact of tools used to help diabetes patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21328/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The development of a national diabetes registry remains a priority. The National Diabetes Registry Demonstrator Project, funded through Sláintecare, was paused as key HSE staff were redeployed onto urgent on-going COVID-19 work. Following substantial increases in investment in eHealth, the national diabetes registry is now being considered as part of a wider review of Ireland’s health information strategy, and will operate as a “virtual” registry.

Government approval was given this month to prepare the General Scheme of a Health Information Bill. It is envisaged that the Bill will include a provision to enable the operation of disease-specific “virtual” registries, including a virtual national diabetes registry, where information on disease diagnoses and treatment from healthcare providers is efficiently collated, combined and quality-checked from administrative records to create a database akin to an active registry for each disease. This will greatly improve the potential to monitor rare-disease prevalence in Ireland.

Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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139. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the ongoing issues concerning the treatment and prevention of Lyme disease; if his Department has implemented in full all of the recommendations issued in the October 2019 report of the Health Protection Surveillance Centre Lyme borreliosis sub-committee; the action his Department has taken to improve testing, diagnosis, treatment and management of Lyme disease on foot of the October 2019 report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21334/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.