Health Procurement: Motion
Seanad Éireann — 2026-01-29
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Martin Conway (IND), Administrative Panel

It is great to see the Minister. She is very welcome to the House. I support what my colleagues are proposing. As a country that is so advanced in so many areas, this is one area we could probably be more advanced. It is something we should do. It makes economic sense, but more than anything else, it is a support and a service to our citizens who need it.
The eyesight condition I have is hereditary. About ten years, I looked at getting a study done because my father has it, but his brother and sister do not. His father, my grandfather had the condition and two of his brothers had it. I was just curious and interested to know. I do not have any children but if we were to have a child, a study may have revealed how prevalent it was, what the challenges and risks were and what could have been done to mitigate it.
I spoke to my ophthalmologists, who are excellent people, at the time and was told that it would have to be done abroad. We decided not to do it and moved on with life. If it could have been done locally by our own experts and professionals, I would probably have been more inclined to have engaged in the process. When you are looking at something that would have been done in Finland, something that is personal but also academic in a sense, you say to yourself that you will leave it.
It is an excellent motion. It is something that would benefit people and our citizens and I support it. I commend Senators Kyne and Byrne on tabling it and the Minister for being here today.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-01-29/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:34+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-01-29