I welcome the Minister of State. I call on the Minister for Health and Children to disclose the outcome of the February investigation into the high number of deaths from brain haemorrhage in the docklands area. This is a matter of considerable concern to people on both sides of the River Liffey, in the Ringsend and north docks areas.
It is reported that approximately seven deaths occurred in Ringsend and five deaths on the north side of the river in the year ending February 2000. That is a total of 12 deaths which are known to have occurred from brain haemorrhage in a 12 month period. The people who died were all aged in their 20s and 30s. These young people had experienced severe headaches which had been diagnosed as migraine. Many of them had brain scans and brain specialists had examined them, but evidence of serious illness was not detected or diagnosed. Yet these people suddenly became ill, experienced violent vomiting and died shortly afterwards. This matter was brought to my attention by a family in the north docks area when a young man in his early 20s, who was a good footballer in the local club and had a partner and child, suddenly became ill and died.
It is a strange phenomenon which we have not experienced elsewhere in the country. There seems to be a cluster of mysterious deaths on both sides of the River Liffey. The Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Martin, instigated an inquiry into the cause of the cluster of deaths in early spring of this year. I want to know the outcome of that inquiry and what was discovered during the investigation. I understand senior officials in the Eastern Regional Health Authority were empowered to conduct the inquiry. Have they identified any salient factors which might have caused the deaths?
Were these deaths compared with similar deaths in other parts of the country? Is this a unique case? What is the incidence of death from brain haemorrhage among a young age group? Why has the docklands area suddenly experienced this rare cause of death, particularly among a young population who were seen as happy go lucky and enthusiastic people in the prime of their lives? Has the Department put a mechanism in place to monitor such deaths in the future? Will the Department continue to monitor the docklands area over a period of time to see if there is a pattern of such deaths?
The situation is alarming and has caused worry and distress for parents whose children have been snatched from them for no obvious reason in tragic circumstances. It is distressing for the community because if this can happen suddenly to one family, it can happen on a more widespread basis. I and the people in this area are keen to know the outcome of the inquiry and I am sure the Minister will provide those details.
Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Dr. Moffatt): I thank the Senator for raising this issue on the Adjournment. There are guidelines in the Eastern Regional Health Authority to deal with the matter of clusters of health events in a particular area.
I am advised by the public health department of the Eastern Regional Health Authority that a small group was convened and a number of meetings were held in relation to this issue. Steps taken to deal with concerns over the alleged increase in brain haemorrhages include area medical officers contacting general practitioners in the locality regarding deaths from brain haemorrhage in the under 40 years of age group. A concise literature review was carried out in the area of cerebral haemorrhages and a number of causes for different types of haemorrhages were identified.
Data on brain haemorrhages was obtained from the Central Statistics Office in relevant age groups from zero to 39 years of age for the period 1995 to 1999. However, nothing specific was noted in the data. The data available referred to Dublin County borough within the Eastern Regional Health Authority and a breakdown into smaller areas was not available. The data for causes of death for 1999 for the Ringsend docklands area is not yet available. Hospital in-patient inquiry data was also reviewed in relation to the Dublin 4 area. From the information available, I am advised that nothing out of the ordinary was found. However, the public health department of the authority will not draw any final conclusions until 1999 mortality data from the Ringsend area is available.
As the Senator said, 12 deaths is high in any one area. A family history of brain haemorrhages is usually significant, but I await the final breakdown and report on this issue.
