David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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4. To ask the Minister for Health if he has given any consideration to funding continuous glucose-monitoring sensors for people with type 2 diabetes under the community drug scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25754/24]

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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I wish to ask the Minister about the position regarding the funding of continuous glucose-monitoring sensors for people with type 2 diabetes. My reading of the situation is that this technology is amazing and makes a huge difference to the quality of people's lives. They feel better and can perform better. It is really effective. I understand that a change was made to the scheme last Christmas whereby people with type 2 diabetes who had been involved previously are not now. I would like the Minister's comments on this.

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for the question and for his advocacy in this area. I have discussed this issue with him. Deputy Devlin is Chair of the all-party Oireachtas committee. We met with Diabetes Ireland before last year's budget. I assure the Deputy that this is a matter of great priority for the Government. There are various things we have done in the past few years. One is, in line with a request from Diabetes Ireland, that we are setting up the national diabetes register. We have not had one before. We began rolling out screening for gestational diabetes last year, which has been received very well.

One of the most important advances is diabetes is included in chronic disease management, CDM. We have got these CDM hubs around the country. I have met diabetes patients in my own constituency at the CDM hub in Bray and they said it has been life-changing for them to be able to get the specialist care they need in the community rather than having to go into the hospitals.

Another great advance, as the Deputy said, has been these continuous glucose-monitoring products. There is good news for those with type 1 diabetes in that there has been a significant increase in the numbers using them. In fact, there has been nearly a threefold increase in the past few years, up from 6,000 to nearly 17,000 now. It is not cheap in terms of the additional cost to the State. The €20 million in funding in 2021 has now gone up to €56 million just for type 1 diabetes. The estimated cost we have, were we to roll out the same to people with type 2 diabetes - and it is something the Deputy would like to do and Government would most certainly like to do - would be about €200 million to €400 million extra per year. To put that in context, it would be about the size of the entire additional healthcare budget for last year. At this point, we are keeping it under advisement. We want to set up the national diabetes register, and we are setting up that so we can accurately ascertain the numbers with type 2 diabetes. Then we will move from there.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for his response and congratulate him on the work he and the Government are doing in this area. I wonder what the cost will be of not making these sensors available to people, particularly if they get ill, end up in hospital or whatever and their quality of life disimproves.

One of my constituents informed me that the sensor changed the quality of his life when he started using it. His readings were kept at a manageable level and he feels much better when going out and about. He also said that prior to Christmas, the sensors were free to type 1 and 2 diabetes patients but that this has changed since then. I hope the Minister will clarify whether that is the case. My constituent applied to the HSE to have his sensor added to his long-term illness card but his application was rejected due to what he tells me was a change in the rules. He has had diabetes for over ten years. His consultant has indicated that the man also requires insulin. Since he obtained the self-funded technology, he has transformed his diabetes care with excellent control of the disease and improved safety. This is extremely important. It could be subsidised, and the Minister might consider that.

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy. The technology is not cheap. The cost of one sensor is about €1,500 to €3,000 per year. They are expensive and, hence, the additional cost to the State would be €200 million to €400 million. If the Deputy is comfortable with sending me on details of the case or if his constituent is happy to send them on, I will take a look specifically at what he is saying he had access to and now does not have access to. I would be concerned if there are patients who were eligible and who, for some bureaucratic reason, are now being told they are not eligible. I will certainly take a look at that. Then, as the Deputy said, once we have the diabetes register in place, we can start doing the assessments now with respect to the money saved by preventing people having to go into hospital, particularly combined with the diabetes management serves we now have in general practice with the chronic disease management hubs. At that point, we can look to see if there is a way of phasing this in, perhaps on a means-tested basis or on the basis of clinical need.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for his very positive response. To support him in moving forward with this, my constituent tells me that the sensor has to be replaced every ten days at a cost €92.50, or €75 plus VAT. This is, as the Minister stated, very expensive. However, the improvement in quality of life for these people is massive. They do not require hospital treatment to the same extent or anything near it, so there are huge savings there with respect to not having to be hospitalised, not being unwell and being able to actively work and perform in society as they would like to do. I will certainly send on the details with the constituent's permission, and I would encourage the Minister to have a look at this. Even if there was some assistance given to these people, it would help in a big way. I thank the Minister for that.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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Bogaimid ar aghaidh anois go dtí an chéad ceist eile, Ceist Uimh. 5 in ainm An Teachta Gino Kenny.

Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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I have mixed up my notes. Does Deputy Smith want to go ahead?

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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If Deputy Duncan Smith is agreeable, we will move to Question No. 6 in his name.