Diabetes services
Deputy Pringle said previous assurances on insulin pump services and other diabetes supports had not been followed through. The Health Minister said he would look into the Donegal issue, acknowledged gaps from the lack of a national diabetes strategy, and said work on a strategy was under way.
I am glad to see the Minister for Health is here because I have another question for him. I have raised issues around aspects of diabetes services many times over the past three years. The answers the Tánaiste and his predecessors gave on the floor of the Chamber have been generic. The promised follow-ups hardly ever happen. On 18 October last year, the Tánaiste told me the following in relation to rolling out insulin pump services at Sligo University Hospital: "I am not so sure it is a funding issue but I will have the matter looked into". As usual, there was no follow-up from the Tánaiste so I contacted the hospital management myself and they told me the following:
I wish to confirm that SUH did submit a business case for additional nurse specialist to start Insulin Pump service in mid 2022. Due to the lack of funding with 2022 allocations, the business case was not approved.
Management has again looked for the resources it needs this year, yet the Government is failing to make it happen.
Comment on this
How many more times does he think I will have to come here and raise this issue before the people of Donegal and the north west see any action?
Comment on this
If the Deputy wants to give me the particulars after this session on that issue, I will look into it. There is now significant funding for diabetes. Deputy Devlin, who is present, chairs the all-party committee on diabetes. Deputy Devlin and I met Diabetes Ireland before the last budget. I committed to Deputy Devlin and to Diabetes Ireland that we would put a strategy in place. One of the issues, as Deputy Pringle correctly pointed out, is that there is no national strategy in place for diabetes and there are therefore gaps in the service. I have asked the Department to work with the HSE and stakeholders because we need a new diabetes strategy. We have allocated funding through the budget for this year to start improving the services. If the Deputy wants to give me the particulars of the matter he raised, I will look into it.