Michael Harty (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Ms Lawless for her opening statement. I will move on to the committee members. Mr. Symes will have an opportunity to come in. Lyme disease is a recognised infectious disease. There is a difference between an acute illness and a chronic one. I will give Ms Lawless and Dr. Lambert an opportunity to answer the question. The issue concerns not diagnosing the acute phase and allowing the chronic phase to develop to the extent that it becomes difficult to diagnose because it has so many different facets. It has neurological, rheumatological and fatigue aspects. It has so many aspects. There is a recognition that Lyme disease exists as an infectious disease. The difficulty is how to deal with the chronic phase if the acute phase has not been properly diagnosed. Is the issue the Department of Health's resistance to recognising the chronicity of Lyme disease? Is that the fundamental issue?