Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 8 Nov 2001

Vol. 543 No. 4

Written Answers. - Diabetes Incidence.

Jack Wall

Question:

74 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of diabetic patients registered with health boards; if the incidence of this disease is on the increase; his plans to deal with the problem; the assistance his Department gives to support groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27280/01]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

Diabetes is not a notifiable disease and consequently national statistics are not routinely submitted to my Department. Some health boards do have registers of diabetic patients which contain details only of diabetes sufferers who receive treatment through those boards. My Department has asked the chief executive officers to forward any details in respect of such registers directly to the Deputy. As there is no national register it is not possible to say if the incidence of diabetes is increasing in Ireland. Information from other countries shows that the incidence of diabetes is increasing in western countries for reasons which are not fully clear.

In respect of plans to deal with this condition, the cardiovascular strategy highlighted the high prevalence of cardiovascular disease in diabetics. Diabetes will be considered in the context of the proposed programme for secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease as patients with diabetes are at high risk of such diseases.

National lottery funding of £65,000 was granted to the Diabetes Federation of Ireland in the year 2000 towards the cost of a helpline to provide information for people affected by diabetes. The health promotion unit of my Department has provided £10,000 for the federation since the beginning of this year. A request for further funding is currently being examined. In addition, my Department has provided funding under the GMS research and education grants scheme for a randomly controlled trial and economic evaluation for the North Dublin Diabetes Shared Care Project.