Antibiotic overuse
Senator Gallagher raises concerns about the overuse of antibiotics after offering good wishes to Ireland’s football team.
I join colleagues in wishing our soccer team all the best tonight. It would also be remiss of us not to congratulate our friends north of the Border on their magnificent achievement in qualifying for the last 16. We wish them well. It would be fantastic to have the two teams in the quarter finals. I hope we will have two in them this time tomorrow. We look forward to the day when only one team will represent the island. The quicker that happens, the better. What has happened shows what we could achieve if we only had had one team in the competition.
I wish to say a few words about the overusage of antibiotics. Will the Leader use his good offices and invite the Minister for Health to address the House on the issue? Antibiotics were the medical miracle of the 20th century and used as an essential part of everyday health care treatment. Unfortunately, they have been overused in recent times, being overprescribed at GP and hospital level, often under pressure from patients. It has happened to such an extent that many bugs have become resistant to them. This issue must be addressed. It has been flagged by the World Health Organization which has set alarm bells ringing. We need an awareness or information campaign for the public.