Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the people who came from around the country today to protest at the Dáil. They had a presentation in the AV room, which was excellent. It was heartbreaking to hear their experiences, particularly those of one farmer whose life was turned upside down when both he and his young sons got Lyme disease. The one point I want to raise is the lack of early diagnosis. People have to get diagnosed themselves. They have to leave Ireland and go to Germany or America, and must raise a fortune if they do not have the money themselves. They have to beg, steal or borrow it. When they get the diagnosis, they come back to Ireland and it is not recognised here. That is wrong. It should be recognised here. The HSE should be doing more for early detection of this problem and should be recognising it.

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