James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

I too send my best wishes to anybody who is acutely ill at this time. I realise the difficulties attaching to this issue and am sympathetic to the plight of those involved. However, as I said in my reply, in the absence of some other method of defining the cause of illness, it is very difficult, under the legislation, to deal with the cases outlined. The Deputy observed that a very small number of women fall into this category, but the symptoms outlined are so prevalent with many other conditions that it would be difficult to confine any measure in this regard to the cohort we are discussing. Having said that, I am certainly prepared to review the matter with a view to finding some definable way of addressing it to everybody's satisfaction.

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