Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 13 May 2003

Vol. 566 No. 3

Written Answers. - Diabetes Clinics.

Denis Naughten

Ceist:

345 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Health and Children his plans to support the development of diabetes clinics throughout the country in view of the recent report into the cost of treatment of diabetic complications by the Diabetes Federation of Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12738/03]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

Following receipt of the report, Diabetes: Securing the Future from the Diabetes Federation of Ireland last year, a meeting took place between officials of my Department and the federation. The federation was informed that the report would be considered in the context of the current health strategy Quality and Fairness – A Health System for You, the primary care strategy A New Direction and within the limits of available funding. My Department is examining how best diabetic services can be improved nationally.

A full range of services for persons with diabetes is provided by the health services generally and many initiatives have significant benefits for persons with diabetes and in the prevention of the disease. A particular case in point is the cardiovascular health strategy, Building Healthier Hearts, which made a number of recommendations on the prevention of heart disease and many of these are also relevant to the prevention of diabetes.

The strategy recommends the expansion of primary prevention initiatives to reduce the development of risk factors, and related diseases such as diabetes, in the population. Awareness of the need to adopt a more healthy lifestyle was one of the main objectives of the first phase of the heart health campaign Ireland Needs a Change of Heart. A combination of primary prevention in the general population and secondary prevention in those known to have heart disease, as outlined in Building Healthier Hearts, can be expected to substantially reduce the risk of heart disease, including in patients with related conditions such as diabetes, in the coming years.

The funding allocated by Government to the health services in 2003 is designed to maintain the existing level of service in overall terms. The economic outlook for 2003 is reflected in the approach taken by the Government to spending Estimates and the budget. Of the overall level of investment in public services in 2003, some two-thirds has been allocated to the health services.