(South Tipperary) asked the Minister for Health if he will consider taking advice on making leukaemia a notifiable disease.
29.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Notification of Diseases.
11.
(South Tipperary) asked the Minister for Health if he will consider amending legislation to distinguish between notification for prophylactic and quarantine measures and notification for general medical information.
I propose, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 11 and 29 together.
The present statutory provision under which medical practitioners can be required to notify to health authorities the occurrence of disease is limited in its application to infectious diseases. The basic purpose in, and the justification for, requiring such notification is to enable steps to be taken in good time to prevent the spread of these infectious diseases through the community.
While it would be of value to have fuller information about morbidity generally, particularly so in the case of diseases the incidence of which appears to be on the increase, an extension of the scope of compulsory notification of leukaemia, which heretofore has not been regarded as infectious, and to other diseases in the same category, would represent a major departure from the present policy followed heretofore and would require very careful consideration. The Deputy will appreciate that ethical issues of considerable moment for the medical profession would be involved. For these reasons, I do not at present propose to consider amending legislation, as suggested.