andMr. Quinn asked the Minister for Health the extent of venereal disease in Ireland to-day; and if there is evidence of an increase in the incidence of this infection in recent years.
7.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Venereal Disease.
6.
andMr. Quinn asked the Minister for Health the number and location of centres presently provided for the treatment of venereal disease in Ireland; and the measures taken to provide public information about the location of these centres.
8.
andMr. Quinn asked the Minister for Health the measures that are taken to inform the public that treatment for venereal disease is free.
9.
andMr. Quinn asked the Minister for Health if venereal disease is a compulsorily notifiable disease; and if he is satisfied that the present system of notification is satisfactory.
10.
andMr. Quinn asked the Minister for Health if there is provision under the Health Act for the compulsory treatment of identified sources of contact of venereal disease; and, if so, if he is satisfied with the measures being taken in this regard.
I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 6 to 10 together.
Venereal disease is compulsorily notifiable and in 1976, 2,081 cases were notified to my Department as compared with 1,283 in 1971. The figures do not, in my view, reflect the real incidence of venereal disease in the community.
There are nine centres at which treatment is provided; I propose, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to circulate a list of the centres with the Official Report. In general, health boards in whose areas the centres are located, include reference to them in their information leaflets. These leaflets indicate that treatment for compulsorily notifiable infectious diseases is free.
I am not satisfied that the present system of notification is satisfactory. There are a number of factors which militate against effective notification under the Infectious Diseases Regulations 1948. In an effort to improve this situation, my Department have prepared a comprehensive redraft of the Regulations and they are at present the subject of consultation with the Society of Medical Officers of Health.
My Department have also initiated an inquiry involving directors of community care and medical officers of health in liaison with general practitioners in their areas in an endeavour to get some idea of the true incidence of venereal disease in the community.
I am not, I should say, fully satisfied that the facilities available for the treatment of venereal disease, are on a country-wide basis, sufficiently well known and in the context of education in relation to sexually transmitted diseases generally I am considering what are the best options open to me to improve the situation. To an extent what I will do will depend upon the information which is gained from the survey to which I have referred.
There is no provision for compulsory treatment in the Health Acts under which the infectious diseases services are provided.
Venereal Disease Treatment Centres.
Cork: Male—St. Finbarr's Hospital (Unit A), Female—Special Clinic, City Hall; Dublin: Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Sir Patrick Dun's Hospital, Dr. Steeven's Hospital; Clare: County Hospital, Ennis; Westmeath: County Hospital, Mullingar; Sligo: County Hospital; Waterford: Ardkeen Hospital.
With the permission of the Chair, realising that there are five questions involved here, might I ask a few supplementaries?
The Deputy has been going all right so far.
First, might I ask the Minister for Health if he is satisfied that venereal disease is specifically stated? Whilst there is provision for statement that treatment of infectious diseases is available free, it does not specifically state venereal disease. Would the Minister not agree that the Health Acts fall down in this regard? Secondly, would he not consider that established contacts should be treated compulsorily in the interests of the community? I think the Minister knows to what I am referring.
In reply to the first part of the Deputy's question, as I have already indicated, we propose to redraft the regulations. These are at present the subject of consultation with the medical officers concerned. I would not be prepared to agree about the compulsory aspect as suggested by the Deputy.
Would the Minister consider it desirable that established contacts of venereal disease should be allowed go free in the community, transmitting the disease to other members of the community, without having some compulsory control over them?
This is a very deep question affecting certain fundamental matters and I do not think I would be prepared to deal with it by way of question and answer at Question Time.
Supposing a smallpox case came to the country would the Minister consider it desirable that compulsory treatment be available in that case? Is it not provided for in the Act that there should be compulsory treatment of infectious diseases? It should be compulsory, especially with regard to venereal disease which can have such serious consequences.
These matters are dealt with by statute. If anything were to be done it would have to be dealt with by statute and fully debated and discussed here.
But first there must be a political willingness on the part of a Minister to have a statute brought in. That is what we are talking about —compulsory treatment of established contacts. These people are allowed go free in the community, transmitting the disease from one to another. I, and I think the Minister should, consider it desirable, indeed very important, that they be treated compulsorily, as they are in other countries. This is the only country that has not got compulsory treatment.
Question No. 11.