Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Since this motion was first mooted in the media by Deputy Naughten and taken up by the Regional Group, I have been inundated with emails and calls. Each person who contacted me told his or her own harrowing story. Many have been suffering since the first wave of the virus back in 2020 and none of them know how long their suffering will last. In Tipperary alone, 670 people are certified as unable to work due to long Covid. It is estimated that 330,000 adults have been impacted by long Covid nationally. Many of these people are gravely ill with debilitating symptoms, yet only 22.5 whole-time equivalent staff have been appointed by the HSE to work with long Covid patients. Long Covid will be the straw that breaks the health service if urgent action is not taken.

It is not just adults who have been affected. Thousands of our young people are afflicted. Emily will be 16 on 16 November. Her parents, who live in County Tipperary, have given permission for me to share her story. For those who may not know what long Covid is all about, this young girl's story sums it up. Emily is a typical teenager. Prior to July of this year, she was full of the joys of life. She had a large circle of friends, was a member of her local GAA club and was pleading to go to parties with her older sister. Her phone was constantly beeping with messages from her friends. In July, both Emily and her sister contracted Covid. They had similar symptoms. They isolated and followed all of the instructions and eventually the virus passed. However, months later, Emily is still not back to her bubbly self. It hurts her to breathe, with sharp pains shooting from her chest through to her back. She has also developed serious digestive issues, something she had never known previously. Her digestive system ceased to function normally. Her symptoms are debilitating and confine her to home. Chronic fatigue means she does not have the energy to leave home, even if she could. By means of elimination and having tried treatments for each problem as it emerged, her local GP eventually diagnosed her with long Covid.

This young girl has become a shell of her former self. She is unable to get out of bed in the morning until she has taken two strong painkillers. As a popular teenager who loved school, who was bright and who showed great promise as a student, Emily now misses at least three days per week. She struggles through pain with pain relief on the days she can attend. Her schoolwork is suffering badly. Emily is a junior certificate pupil and is distraught at the thought of failing her exams. This young girl and her family are battling alone. They have met with nothing but obstacles. Her doctor has said that she must wait until she turns 16 to join the ever-growing waiting list for an adult long Covid clinic. Incredibly, and to our shame, there is no such service in Ireland for young people. In the meantime, Emily will continue to miss at least three days a week. Her parents feel that the school will be obligated to report her poor attendance to Tusla and worry that Tusla will not accept long Covid as a valid reason for school absence. Emily's life has changed. Her phone no longer beeps constantly with messages from her friends. She is out of the loop in school and cannot participate in sport anymore. She does not have the energy to meet up with friends. She is worried about her exams. As a girl who is not yet 16, she feels depressed, isolated and helpless. This is the reality of long Covid for young people.

Emily is not alone. There are hundreds, if not thousands of young people in similar situations across the country. They need help. There is only so much their families can do to get them through this. Love alone does not help with long Covid. They need to be seen at a dedicated long Covid clinic for young people to help them manage and cope with their physical symptoms. They also urgently need mental health support. Emily has received zero support from the Department of Education. It has failed to give a directive to school on a protocol for dealing with students with long Covid. Our motion calls for a targeted campaign of advice and information on the management of conditions and situations associated with long Covid.

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