This morning Fine Gael Deputies Joe McHugh TD and Andrew Doyle TD secured a Government commitment to hold a Dáil debate on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) - the incurable muscular disease that results in an average life expectancy of late teens/early 20s.

An Tánaiste Mary Coughlan TD agreed to facilitate a debate on the topic, following speeches during the Order of Business by the two Fine Gael TDs. The news comes as a massive boost to the 160 Irish families who are affected by DMD.

Commenting, Deputy Doyle said

"Currently no translational research and no clinical trials for DMD are being carried out in Ireland. Last November Deputy McHugh and I published a motion on the Order Paper on this subject, and this morning's development in Dáil Eireann is of great significance."

Deputy McHugh said

"Funding must be allocated to what is universally regarded as the most promising research strategies in order to accelerate drugs through the clinical trial process and to ensure that Irish sufferers have access to these trials. We are proposing that the Irish Government help to fund health research that is currently being conducted in the UK, because there is no adequate research facility in Ireland."

Last year the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health & Children unanimously voted in favour of supporting funding of Duchenne Research, but the first movement by Government in this direction only happened this morning. 'Duchenne Ireland', a charity organisation, will raise €200,000 annually towards funding translational therapies for Duchenne.

An Tánaiste agreed to facilitate the debate, subject to the agreement of the various Party Whips in Dáil Eireann.

Article Cited from Irish Medical Times