Diabetes Ireland

Lobbying Organisation Diabetes Ireland

Date published 14 Jan, 2022

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Health

Period 1 Sep, 2021 to 31 Dec, 2021

Specific Details To seek sustained investment in supporting people living with diabetes and promote a more strategic approach to addressing longterm improvements making huge government cost savings, increase Oireachtas members awareness about the scale and severity of diabetes and its impact on society and to work together to seek ongoing government commitment to a long-term innovative strategic framework for managing diabetes with committed annual funding.

Intended results To work with the Cross Party Parliamentary Diabetes Committee to develop a work stream to include the development of a strategic framework to improve quality of life for people with diabetes and reduce long term costs to the health service of diabetes complications.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Kieran O'Leary, CEO, Diabetes Ireland

Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?) No

Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign? No

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Mass communications

Email All Oireachtas Members Invite issued to join two Cross Party Parliamentary Diabetes meetings to hear from Diabetes Ireland and the HSE Clinical Leads for paediatric and adult diabetes services.

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Email (1)

Liaised with Bernard Durkan TD to obtain data on the number of persons diagnosed with various forms of diabetes in Ireland; the number and treatment; the extent to which the disease can be removed as a major threat to health

Email (2-5)

Liaised with Rosin Shortall TD to obtain 2020 data on diabetes related amputation, foot wound hospitalisation data and the Type 2 Diabetes Cycle of Care initiative

Email (2-5)

Liaised with Alan Dillon TD regarding staffing levels at Mayo University Hospital for gestational diabetes services.

Phone call (1)

Provided background information to Senator Aisling Dolan for a commencement matter on whether ehealth Ireland can support the Sláintecare project on the development of a National Diabetes Register and potential timelines considering impact of Covid-19 & HSE cyber-attack. A National Diabetes Register is required to track prevalence, measure outcomes and to look at the costs of care.

Email (2-5)

Provided background information to the office of Minister Ossian Smyth TD on Freestyle Libre

Email (2-5)

Liaised with Paul McAuliffe TD seeking information on the cost of the type 2 diabetes cycle of care programme since its inception; the number of persons that currently avail of the programme; the number of general practitioners that provide the programme; if the programme has been evaluated; if an audit of the programme has been completed.

Email (2-5)

Liaised with Brendan Griffin and Michael HealyRae on diabetes podiatry services University Hospital Kerry

Email (2-5)

Liaised with Cormac Devlin to seek information on the estimated prevalence of type 1 diabetes here; the number of continuous glucose monitoring systems and insulin pumps, respectively in use by people with diabetes in Ireland.

Designated public officials lobbied

The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them. As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.

Cormac Devlin TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Brendan Griffin Minister of State (Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport)

Bernard Durkan TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Paul McAuliffe TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Aisling Dolan Senator (Seanad)

Alan Dillon TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Ossian Smyth Minister of State (Department of Public Expenditure and Reform)