asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who have died of AIDS in Ireland since 1 January, 1986; and if all such deaths have been properly recorded.
14.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - AIDS.
12.
asked the Minister for Health if he will outline his campaign against the spread of AIDS; if he has satisfied himself that all blood and organ donations are fully screened; whether further programmes on extra treatment facilities for high risk groups especially intravenous drug users are planned; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
25.
asked the Minister for Health if he will give a projected estimated growth rate for AIDS over the next five years; if he will indicate the progress or the measures proposed by way of a Government campaign to limit the spread of AIDS; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
26.
asked the Minister for Health the plans, if any, he has for an information campaign on AIDS to alert the public to the dangers of this illness, outlining the measures necessary to prevent contracting the condition; when the proposed campaign will commence; the funds which have been allocated for it; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
31.
asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the agreed departmental allocation and the Health Education Bureau allocation in respect of the Government's AIDS campaign; and the changes, if any, which have been decided by the Government in respect of the content or orientation of the campaign as advised to the Government in January, 1987.
81.
asked the Minister for Health when he proposes to publish the programme outlining his Department's policy on AIDS.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 12, 14, 25, 26, 31 and 81 together.
I will be launching the Government's AIDS public information programme tomorrow. The programme has been designed to meet the identified information needs of the population.
To meet these needs a two-tiered public information programme has been designed. At one level the programme will reinforce public knowledge about AIDS through a mass media programme and on an individual level, the personal worries of individuals will be addressed through a detailed booklet and a confidential freefone service. Sufficient funds are available in the Health Education Bureau's budget to meet the cost of the information campaign.
The programme is the first step in an intensive campaign to educate the public about AIDS. Fundamental to its success is the development and the implementation on a continuing basis, of local AIDS information and education programmes. These programmes have been put in place. A central strategy committee has been established by me to develop and implement further strategies for dealing with AIDS. This committee will continue to monitor the needs of the health services, including the hospital services in relation to AIDS and will make appropriate recommendations to me.
There have been 19 cases of AIDS to date, 11 of which have occured since 1 January, 1986. Because of the wide scope for error, an estimate of the future number of cases would only be speculative and of little value.
With regard to the registering of AIDS deaths the doctor attending the patient at death is required by law to certify the cause of death and a copy of the certificate must be presented to the Registrar of Births and Deaths. I would expect this requirement to be adhered to in the case of AIDS patients and I have no reason to believe that it is not.
I take it the Minister meant that there were 11 deaths from AIDS since January 1986?
Yes.
Can the Minister tell the House, first, how many of those were drug-abuse-related and, second, how many were sexually-transmitted-related deaths? Will the Minister confirm to the House that the accurate recording of such deaths is essential if the extent of the problem is to be identified and combated? Furthermore, is he happy that all such deaths are being properly recorded and reported?
In answer to the first part of the Deputy's question, of the 11 deaths three were drug abusers, five were homosexuals/bisexuals, with haemophiliacs accounting for three deaths. As regards the second part of the Deputy's question, it is a matter for the doctor attending the patient who is required, by law, to certify the cause of death, a copy of which certificate must be presented to the Registrar of Births and Deaths. I would expect that this requirement is being adhered to. I have no reason to believe otherwise.
In view of the fact that recording of such deaths would be vitally important to the combating of the disease would the Minister assure the House that his Department will take all possible steps to ensure that statistics are properly collated? Second, arising from the three deaths among haemophiliacs, will the Minister state what steps have been taken, particularly on the lines of vetting blood transfusions, to prevent such deaths in the future?
With regard to the question of haemophiliacs, I should say there is a triple screening of blood products to ensure they are absolutely safe for use in this country. On the first part of the Deputy's question——
Would the Minister assure the House that his Department will direct that all such deaths be properly recorded?
Yes, it is important that all such deaths be properly recorded. But I have no reason to believe that that is not happening.
In regard to the sad information given by the Minister that three of the 11 deaths were among haemophiliacs and his reference to blood donations, I gather that organ donations have caused problems in other countries. Is he satisfied that procedures are in place to ensure — again within an Irish context — that all blood and organ products are fully screened? Furthermore, the Minister indicated in his first reply that he had his own committee working in the area. People working in the field have indicated that drug abuse constitutes one of the highest risks in the Irish context. Would the Minister say whether, apart from an education programme, he has any other programmes of action, such as counselling in mind, or whether he is hoping to initiate such programmes in the near future?
It would be pre-empting the launch of the campaign tomorrow were I to go into too much detail. We are very conscious of the problem associated with drug abusers. We shall be very anxious to ensure that they are made aware of the risks and dangers associated with AIDS.
In view of the fact that half of those who have died in Ireland to date have had sex-related histories, how explicit will be the programme to be announced by the Minister tomorrow? In what respects will it differ from that made available to the Government five months ago?
How explicit the programme will be is a relative thing depending on one's interpretation of "explicit". I think it might be better to await the launching of the programme when the Deputy will be in a position to judge how explicit it is.
In what respect will the programme to be launched tomorrow differ from that presented by the Chief Medical Officer and the Deputy Chief Medical Officer of the Department of Health and the Health Education Bureau through me to the previous Government?
I think the Deputy should wait and see.
That is not a very explicit answer.
I am anxious to pursue the matter of the deaths of the three haemophiliacs. The Minister said that those three deaths occurred despite the existence of a triple clearance procedure in regard to blood transfusions. Presumably that triple clearance procedure has operated since 1 January 1986. Can the Minister tell the House whether there has been a tightening up of the vetting procedure for blood transfusions and organ transplants in respect of haemophiliacs? Furthermore, would he say whether his Department have taken steps to ensure that there is a better vetting procedure in operation since the deaths of the three persons concerned?
Yes, the situation is being monitored very closely by officials of my Department to ensure that any necessary action to improve the quality of blood transfusions or the situation generally is broken. Of course one of the difficulties encountered is that the virus can be in situ for a long time before its clinical effects are identified. Obviously that fact increases the number of people who will present with AIDS, even though the AIDS virus may have been there for some years before presenting itself.
The Minister has already evaded a question from my colleague by asking him to wait until tomorrow. I have a specific question down to the Minister asking how the content and orientation of the campaign to be launched tomorrow will differ from that advised by the Chief Medical Officer of the Department of Health. Perhaps the Minister would answer that specific question.
This will be a public information campaign, part of the Government's strategy to deal with the very serious problem of AIDS, probably the most serious health problem facing this country since that of tuberculosis 40 years ago. The campaign will provide essential information to people so that they will be in a position, or will know how, to avoid contacting AIDS.
With respect, I asked the Minister how his campaign differs from the one supplied to the former Minister by the Chief Medical Officer of the Department of Health. Would the Minister indicate to the House how the campaign has changed and whether it will have specific reference to the preventive qualities of condoms?
The campaign broadly will be the same as that of the former Minister in that it will provide factual information to people as to how they can avoid contacting AIDS. The campaign will be launched tomorrow and we will be dealing with all aspects of the problem.
The Minister has responded in some respects in relation to the public education programme to be launched tomorrow. Would the Minister agree that the other side of the fight is the level of services available, of which the sexually-transmitted diseases unit in St. James's Hospital is in the front line for screening and treatment in the Dublin area? Is the Minister aware that there is concern that this unit is under-staffed, that they experience difficulty in getting necessary facilities, even something as simple as a microscope? Would the Minister not consider that to be entirely unsatisfactory in view of the fact that we are facing what he described as perhaps the greatest health threat since TB presented itself here in previous decades? Although I know his relationship with St. James's Hospital might not be as good as was the former Minister's, will he undertake to ensure that funds will be made available to the management of St. James's Hospital for this vital service?
That is a very long question, Deputy.
Will he ask a committee of the House to investigate the level of services in this area to ensure that they are adequate?
As the Deputy is aware, there are three hospitals with clinics for sexually transmitted diseases, St. James's Hospital being one of them in this city. The Mater and Dr. Steevens are the other two. I assure the Deputy we will have proper treatment facilities available to every AIDS patient who needs them not alone in the Dublin area but also throughout the country.
I wish to ask the Minister——
I want to ask——
I am sorry, Deputies. It is 3.30 and I am obliged to deal with questions nominated for priority.
On a point of order——
We have had a good number of questions.
I was going to raise this matter on the Adjournment but I will not raise it if the Minister can confirm that the AIDS campaign is being funded by the national lottery. Is that true?
No.
I am taking questions nominated for priority. Question No. 37.
The Health Education Bureau——
I am obliged to proceed to deal with questions nominated for priority.