Mr. Robert Hurley:

I am 50 years old. After a lung biopsy in June 2021, I was luckily referred to the Mater hospital. I was in a very poor state at that time. In October 2021, I was diagnosed with lung disease. I was given high-technology drugs, I was put on oxygen therapy and I was placed on a lung transplant list. From there, I went home and tried to go back to work. I quickly realised that I would not meet the criteria for a lung transplant if I continued working.

In consultation with my wife and family, we put a plan in place that I would concentrate on my health and she would look after the financial side of things. Luckily, after that decision, on the advice of the Mater hospital, I contacted the Irish Lung Fibrosis Association, ILFA, and from there I started these pulmonary classes. Two minutes would not justify the health and wealth those classes mean to me personally and everybody else who has my condition from a physical, mental and educational aspect as well as being in the comfort of your own home being taught by professional physiotherapists. It cannot be measured.

I find myself now with another issue; a battle outside of my control. I need oxygen to be here today. It only arrived on Monday, so I was not 100% sure. On top of that, people are left in limbo. I rang and complained. The HSE sent me a letter on Monday, saying it could not help me because it was not a medical card issue. My file is thick in terms of my application for a medical card, which was refused.

After 30 years of working, I feel let down by the system. Basically, I am paddling my own canoe. Without the help of ILFA and the doctors and wonderful staff in the Mater hospital, I would not be here today to tell my story. I am hoping someone will listen. I have no access to any facilities other than what ILFA has provided. If it is not looked at, not alone will we have people dying on trolleys in accident and emergency departments where I come from, we will have people dying in their homes because they have no care and no access to oxygen.

I am hoping somebody will listen. This is my story. I am delighted to help those people who cannot be here today. I thank members for listening.