Vol. 421 No. 5
13 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the recent comments made by the Master of the Coombe Hospital (details supplied), that women's health in Ireland was severely under-funded; if he intends to increase the allocation for the particular health needs of women; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I am aware of the recent comments made by the Master of the Coombe Hospital in relation to the level of funding allocated to women's health in this country. Substantial funds have been allocated to the major maternity hospitals in recent years. Last year a budget of £1.2 million was approved for the development of a new three storey block, including operating theatres and a delivery suite at the Rotunda Hospital. This year I have approved the provision of a capital grant for the upgrading of the out-patients' department of the Coombe Hospital. The hospital is currently seeking new tenders for this work.
Apart from these substantial capital investments, additional funds were made available last year for the opening of a new mammography facility at Castlebar General Hospital. This year additional funds have also been made available for the purchase of replacement mammography equipment in University College Hospital, Galway, and for the running of a new mammography unit in Our Lady's Hospital, Navan. A capital grant of £60,000 was also made available to Holles Street Hospital towards the purchase of ultrasound equipment in respect of a cordocentesis service this year.
A pilot programme of breast cancer screening is at present underway. This programme is part of a network of pilot schemes on breast cancer screening currently underway within the European Community, and is partly funded by my Department. The outcome of this study will obviously play a major role in relation to any decision to establish a national programme.
In recent times, my Department have also made grants available to the following voluntary organisations concerned with the advancement of women's health: the Federation of Services for Unmarried Parents and their children for an information booklet; the Irish Congress of Trade Unions for the development of a leaflet on women and smoking; national association for the Ovulation Method in Ireland (NAOMI) for the development of a leaflet on family planning; Tipperary Childbirth Research Trust for the production and development of a booklet on miscarriage; the Irish Sudden Infant Death Association for the production of a very informative booklet; the Mater breast cancer screening pilot project for publicity materials; Council for the Status of Women for the production of a report of a seminar on women's health and a seminar on women and smoking; the Miscarriage Association and the Endometriosis Society for production of leaflets; the Rotunda Hospital for the production of audiotapes for menopausal women; La Leche League, to cover the cost of attendance of delegates at the INO conference on breast-feeding and Association for Improvements in Maternity Services (AIMS) to assist with compilation and production of a Guide to Maternity Services in Ireland.
Also, the following publications relating to women's health are available on request from the health promotion unit of my Department: Book of the Child; Menopause; Gynae Book; Hysterectomy; Cystitis; Women and Alcohol; Diethylstilboestrol — Ask your Mother and Smoking and Pregnancy.
In the present AIDS awareness convenience advertising campaign specific messages are targeted at women through women's clinics by the placement of AIDS awareness messages in these venues.
I thank the Minister for outlining the services already provided by his Department and the funding provided by his Department. The Master of the Coombe Hospital should be listened to when he says he believes that women's health needs are under-funded. No doubt he made that statement in the full knowledge of the kind of services and funding already available. Is it intended to increase the funding available for women's health and for research? Given that the Master of the Coombe, supported by the Council for the Status of Women, has indicated his concern at the virtual non-existence of research into areas relating to women's health, such as cancer, smoking particularly among younger women, the menopause and other areas, the question raised by the Master of the Coombe cannot be adequately responded to by simply listing what is already provided. We need an indication as to what will be done in the future.
I opened up a research unit at the Coombe Hospital recently. I spoke to the Master of the Coombe about what he had said. He was not aware of the number of information leaflets and booklets and of the work we have done. I hope that what I have read out today will come to his notice. The Master of the Coombe was concerned about issues affecting women. In my Department there is a committee concerned with women's health issues. I came in prepared to set one up and found that there was one already there. It is a good committee which has done an enormous amount of work of which I was not aware. I agree that a lot more has to be done. I hope to have further discussions with the Master of the Coombe and other people interested in women's health issues and that we can highlight and fund measures to improve the health of women.
There is also a question with regard to privacy in hospitals. In an obstetrical unit in the out-patients department women are examined with merely a cover thrown across them and there is no privacy at all. I thought it was essential to improve the grant for a new OPD in the Coombe. In areas like that women are denied privacy and dignity. We want to see that situation change rapidly.
That disposes of questions for today.
