Frances Black (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for the great work they are doing in this area and special thanks to Mr. Hurley and Mr. McAuley for sharing their stories. I am shocked to hear that a clinical care programme is not happening. That is really shocking. I agree with Deputies Cullinane and Hourigan that, as a committee, we need to follow up on why that is. The briefing document mentioned the HSE has agreed to develop a pathway for ILD rather than the care plan this organisation has campaigned for over several years. I was surprised to see ILD patients excluded from the HSE's respiratory programme. Is there any understanding of the reason for that? Has the HSE given any explanation for why that is? I would have assumed that chronic lung disease would fall under the umbrella of an integrated care programme. Will ILFA say a little about that and what the thinking is from the HSE's perspective?