Diabetes Ireland

Lobbying Organisation Diabetes Ireland

Date published 12 Sep, 2022

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Health

Period 1 May, 2022 to 31 Aug, 2022

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. To highlight the need for a national diabetes patient registry and the need to develop a national clinical audit for paediatric diabetes public services which would eventually be extended to all diabetes services so that we can audit access and standard of diabetes care nationally and patient outcomes To ensure access and reimbursement of medicines and technology including Flash Glucose Monitoring, Automated insulin pump technologies as well as Continuous Glucose monitoring systems to be available based on clinical need To ensure access to ongoing diabetes education in order to empower people with diabetes & their families to manage their condition on a daily basis and prevent the very costly treatment of acute & long term complications To improve staffing levels for diabetes services in Letterkenny Hospital. To highlight the increasing incidence and cost of diabetes related lower limb amputations and foot ulceration in patient treatment in Ireland for 2021 and the need for more podiatry staffing in each HSE CHO area

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

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Email (2-5)

Email sent to Leitrim TDs asking them to make representation to the Minister for Health for the removal of the age restriction on the Freestyle Libre

Email (1)

Email sent to Reada Cronin asking her to make representation to the Minister for Health for the removal of the age restriction on the Freestyle Libre

Event / Reception (1)

Spoke to Ministers Frank Feighan and Stephen Donnelly at the opening of the diabetes unit in Sligo University Hospital about the need for more staff and resources for diabetes services in CHO 1 and nationally.

Letter (1)

Letter sent to Minister for Health on the need for removal of the age restriction on the Freestyle Libre.

Email (2-5)

Email to Roisin Shortall asking her to make representation to the Minister for Health about paediatric staffing shortages in Temple Street Hospital and implementation of the agreed National Model of Care for Children with Diabetes at Children's Health Ireland

Email (2-5)

Email to Roisin Shortall seeking her help to obtain the incidence of diabetes related lower limb amputations and foot ulceration in patient treatment in Ireland for 2021 and the need for more podiatry staffing in each HSE CHO area.

Meeting (2-5)

Worked with Cormac Devlin (Chairperson of the Cross Party Parliamentary Diabetes Committee) on the development of the Diabetes Ireland Pre-budget Submission 2023 and the various issues it highlights.

Email (6-10)

Emails issued to all Donegal TDs and Minister for Health on the need for more resourcing of diabetes services in Donegal, especially Letterkenny Hospital

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)

Róisín Shorthall TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Stephen Donnelly Minister (Department of Health)

Martin Kenny TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Frank Feighan Minister of State (Department of Health)

Marian Harkin TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Réada Cronin TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Charlie McConalogue TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Pearse Doherty TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Thomas Pringle TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Padráig Mac Lochlainn TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Joe McHugh TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)