Dr. Fiona O'Reilly:

Communication and information has been suggested as a solution and we have been asked whether we should be doing more in terms of sharing information and good communication. There are good examples of innovative approaches that are working. The Lynn Clinic established by Dr. Walsh is one of these. People can quickly get access to specialist care for children who have just arrived in the country and have all of the difficulties we have spoken about.

That kind of approach is needed and can be done in general. I know the HSE National Social Inclusion Office is trying to establish a health assessment questionnaire for international protection applicants, to be available wherever they go around the country. As it stands we see and have seen thousands, and we still have their records. We give them notification to email us for their records. However, none of their GPs know where they are gone. We are not told. Yet, they are in the system somewhere and somebody has given them a medical card. We have their records now, which is complete duplication. Public health nurses are a good resource. We do not have enough, but there are public health nurses in all of the areas. In north County Dublin, they happen across some of the emergency accommodation and find a pregnant woman, or someone who has just delivered a baby. The nurses have not been told. It sounds like maybe the schools are told what is happening with the Ukrainians, but much less about the international protection applicants. As I said in my statement there are also more significant structural barriers for access to care for the international protection applicants.