I wish to share my time with Deputy O'Sullivan.
The Government has spent a lot of money on health services. Unfortunately, the statistics bear testimony to the appalling lack of effective health care for almost every section of the community. As always, those who are least able to afford health care are the ones who fall off the list. They either suffer on for months or years or die before they have the chance to receive treatment.
It is a measure of the priorities of the Government that the proposed Stadium Ireland is given precedence over the treatment of patients in our hospitals. The argument is not about spending money on sport. The problem of Stadium Ireland is that it will allow vast expenditure for the benefit of developing a monument to a few with access being confined largely to the privileged to the exclusion of the most needy.
Yesterday the Minister attributed our ills to the legacy of the lifestyles of 25 years ago. While none of us will deny that lifestyle impacts significantly on quality of life and health status, it is true nevertheless that many cancers are unrelated to lifestyle, but may be genetically determined.
It is ironic that one of my constituents is taking up a precious bed in a cancer treatment hospital. She is awaiting a bed in a rehabilitation unit which is unavailable. She does not want to be in a cancer treatment hospital as her treatment has been completed. She is, however, inadvertently denying another patient access to the bed in question and, possibly, life saving treatment. Surely this commentary on the general management of hospitals is a statement in itself. The lack of co-ordination of facilities within the public hospital sector must be addressed. It is not beyond the bounds of modern technology to identify places and vacancies and set priorities.
While it would not be easy to put in place, a centralised unit, operated with the co-operation of consultants, general practitioners and hospital management, would help to alleviate what is an inefficient and incomprehensible waiting list system. It is bordering on the ludicrous when the situation I have described is allowed to persist and limited specialised treatment is being denied because of the inefficiency of the system. The Minister for Health and Children should appoint a health ombudsman on a similar basis to that of the Office of the Ombudsman. Public affairs are increasingly being scrutinised by bodies such as the Public Offices Commission and the Office of the Ombudsman's, but some of the biggest scandals are happening in the health service. There have been shocking cases where patients have been very poorly treated when at their most vulnerable. We should recognise that customer care, particularly for those most vulnerable, should be provided for effectively and that medical students should be adequately trained in dealing with their customers, the patients.
There are many environmental factors linked to the increased risk of cancer, many of which we may not be able to reduce or eliminate. Radon gas is, however, one of the environmental factors about which we know, the level of which can easily be reduced within a dwelling. The cost involved is relatively small. Grant aid has been promised for a number of years. The purpose would be to allow residents to upgrade their homes to eliminate the risk from radon gas. It is unacceptable that the introduction of the grants scheme continues to be blocked. Many households across the country have been identified as having high levels of radon gas. Grants should be made available as soon as possible to enable these households to protect themselves.
The area of palliative care is one that has been neglected and deserves a serious injection of funding. The excellent home care services and palliative care units of hospices seem to spend a great deal of time fund-raising. While this highlights the good work done by the organisation concerned, it is a shame that such a worthy and valuable service has to be propped up by voluntary fund-raising when there is a glut of money available to the Exchequer, although it is true that the Minister for Finance will hear the same argument from the many interest groups seeking additional funding. Both he and his colleagues in government have to decide priorities, but I make the case for additional funds for palliative care. Such units should not have to await reviews or reports. They provide an invaluable service for patients and their families when at their most vulnerable. They are quiet and hard-working and while they might not have the punch of the country's biggest hospitals, their needs should be prioritised.
While the detection and treatment of cancer are complex and expensive, Ireland needs to keep pace with international best practice and new developments. For this reason, I urge the Minister to ensure cancer research is adequately funded. He must also ensure research funding is focused on substantial and relevant projects and that outcomes are measurable.