Mulvihill Motion On High Cancer Rate Discussed At Cobh Council Meeting

“That Cobh Town council writes to all the leaders of the parties in the Oireachtas to seek their support for a base line health study in Cobh”

It is with regret that I have had to place this motion down for discussion at todays meeting.However as a town councilor in a town where every eleven days some one isdiagnosed with cancer in our town I feel it is an issue of the uttermost importance and should be discussed at today´s meeting of Cobh town council.

It is now 712 days since Minister John Gormley in reply to deputy David Stanton who raised the issue of the high rates of cancer diagnosis in Cobh stated “Yesterday I spoke to the residents about the idea of a baseline health study and, indeed, it has been suggested by my colleague, Senator Dan Boyle, for quite some time. I am happy to look at that issue. I am not an expert on cancer rates. I am not a medical doctor and I do not profess to have great knowledge in this area. Certainly, a baseline study is to be recommended and I will go to Cabinet with that.”

The only thing that has happened is based on the trends from 1994-2007 over 60 more people have been diagnosed with cancer in the town. I was saddened and disappointed when minister Harney stated it was the government´s intention not to commission a base line health study into the high figures of cancer in the town.

That disappointment turned to confusion when I read that senator Dan Boyle thought she was wrong and did not agree with her. I would hope and expect Senator Boyle would feel as strong about this issue as he did on the recent controversy that surrounded Willie o dea when he nearly brought down the government on a tweet an issue I am sure you would agree pales in to * insignificance* compared to the issue we as a town are facing. I would like to take this opportunity to urge Senator Boyle to use what ever influence with his leader on this issue.

Every family in Cobh has their own story to tell about their own family members or neighbors or friends in relation to cancer in our town, when we come up with figures about cancer diagnosis in Cobh  like the 585 people who were diagnosed between 1994-2007 we must remember that it represents 585 wife´s husband,mothers,fathers ,daughters ,sons. These are real people with real stories to tell. Indeed while I was out doing a door to door on Saturday seeking names for a petition I  met many people with their own story to tell, these are the people we represent we need to do what ever we as a council can do to ensure that this study happens.

The cloud that has hung over the town since June of 2008 when the story broke of the discovery by a company in Germany of chromium 6 in waste that had been removed from haulbowline east tip. Has to be delta with, I want to state that I don´t know if there is a direct connection but when the minister for the environment states that the site dose not pose a treat after the study carried out by white young green last year, however if one looks to the 2005 report carried out by the same company as far as I understand made no mention of chromium 6 for it only to be discovered in Germany two years ago raises its own questions.

A  lot has been made of the high deprivation factor and that it is the cause of the high rate of diagnosis has to be questioned Cobh has one of if not the lowest unemployment rates in east cork. Unemployment has a direct link with deprivation if one looks to a town like Carrigaline which is quite similar to Cobh in terms of size and employment yet it has low deprivation ratings that raise its own questions. I do not believe this argument and it is the reason for high cancer rates in Cobh.

To come to a proper and correct conclusion we need a base line health study carried out. There are two ways in which one cane be carried out starting fresh and review a the towns population health for the next five years identify clusters, causes and try to find out the reasoning for the high rates. It can I also understand be done *retrospectively* for the previous five years I am not an expert in this field however this might be the best way to go on this, it would deliver quicker conclusions, and importantly solutions be  cost effective.

In proposing that we as a council write to all political leaders in the oireachtas I am seeking cross party support for the study, while the government has turned down our first request for the study following Senator Boyles comments I am sure our local tds would echo his sentiments. I would urge all of us to use what ever influence we have with in our own parties to ensure agreement to get this issue dealt with. At the end of the day this will be a government decision I also request that we as a council seek a meeting with cork based ministers Deputy Michael Martin Minister for foreign affairs, and Minister for enterprise Deputy Batt O keeffe to convey our need to have the study carried out.

I am aware that the publicity this has created has effected the town´s reputation, I am conscious of the many groups who are working tirelessly to promote our town in tourism and many other we ways, we have a duty to support them in every way but we also have a duty to those living in our town who´s families have been effected by cancer and related illness in our town. Our primary duty is to those.

The only way to move on from this issue is to get this study completed in the shortest timeframe possible, sort out the causes and ensure we this issue will not be still discussed here in twenty years time. Let us as a
council work together to ensure that won´t happen The families who have suffered and are suffering from this deserve nothing less not only from the government but from us as their local reps.