Sign up to The Irish Times Archive (1859 - 2008)My Account »

IRELAND HAS the highest incidence of cystic fibrosis in the world and yet, in spite of such exposure to this lethal condition, patients here may die 10 years earlier than their counterparts in Britain and the US. It is a public scandal that has been allowed to fester for decades and it all comes down to issues of cost, medical treatment and hospital care. Even now, there is no certainty the promised hospital facilities that are so desperately needed will be provided on time. The Government, the Minister for Health and the Health Service Executive (HSE) have all failed in their duty of care to vulnerable citizens.

Last year, following intensive political lobbying and some courageous individual campaigning by Orla Tinsley, Minister for Health Mary Harney and the HSE promised to build a new 120-bed facility, with 30 en suite rooms, at St Vincent’s hospital in Dublin by 2010. Last month, following a reduction of 26 per cent in its capital budget, the HSE announced it didn’t have the money to go ahead and that construction would be delayed until “at least 2011”. The ensuing public uproar and criticism from the Opposition parties caused Ms Harney to examine whether the facility could be funded in a more innovative way. And the outcome may be positive.