Cathal Berry (Kildare South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Ministers of State. I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this important debate on long Covid. I would like to commend my good colleague, Deputy Naughten, and Cáit Nic Amhlaoibh, our group administrator who, in fairness, did all the heavy work in preparing the motion. I acknowledge and welcome the presence of patient advocates and long Covid patients in the Gallery, who are very welcome. I also acknowledge the constructive contributions from all Members. Long Covid is too important to leave the Government with the monopoly on responsibility. It requires every side of the House to pitch in with constructive ideas to see whether we can address this national problem, just like we have done in the past.

Long Covid is real and it is recognised by the WHO. The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, was reassuring in her reply and I am heartened to hear what she said. It is a massive issue that affects significant numbers of people, judging by the correspondence we have received in the past week. While the numbers are large, they would be much larger were it not for the vaccination programme and co-operation of the public with the control measures introduced over the past couple of years. The situation is much more manageable than it would have been otherwise.

I am conscious of what Deputy Fitzpatrick said, namely that we should not establish a hierarchy of patients. However, a disproportionate number of healthcare workers are in the long Covid cohort and we need to examine why that is the case. They did not do anything wrong; in fact, they did exactly what we asked them to do. As a Parliament, we asked them to man the barricades, so to speak, during a time of crisis. They did that very effectively. As a result they have been affected disproportionately. The State has a duty of care to that group in particular. It is in the State's interest to address this. We need to get people back to work and support them on their journey.

What I like most about the motion is that it does not just list problems but includes a comprehensive list of potential solutions. I wish to focus first on the need for greater supports from a research point of view. The Ministers of State, Deputy Butler, outlined that this is a novel condition and we do not know a whole lot about it. We need to fund research not just in Ireland but internationally. It is an international illness and there needs to be multi-centre trials. Perhaps if the Ministers of State are in Europe, they could use their good offices to get as much information as possible and get international research going on how best to assess, investigate and treat long Covid.

We need to get the doctors involved. Professor Jack Lambert has been a lone voice in the wilderness for the past while. I am reassured by what the Minister said about the HSE engaging with the ICGP, which is as it should be. The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland should also be involved. Perhaps it is an issue for the CMO. He might extend an olive branch. It is on board already, but if they are running study or CPD days it might be an idea for them to cover the topic of long Covid to get the message out and share experiences from the point of view.

The third area I wish to focus on is resourcing. Everyone in the House recognises that this is not just about money; it is also about structure and getting clinics up and running. As the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, outlined, the clinics are not yet fully manned, but need to be. I have the pleasure of travelling past the children's hospital this morning, as I normally do. Aside from the financial issue, which is a debate for another day, it is reassuring to see the building going up. It is to be hoped that by 2024 it will be up and running. We cannot wait until 2024 for a dedicated paediatric clinic. The Minister of State said this should be paediatric-led, which is correct, but one of the children's hospitals in Dublin needs to be designated as a long Covid paediatric centre of excellence.

I am heartened by the debate. Many commitments have been given, and we need to translate them into action. We can say all we want in this Chamber, but is all about the implementation. As a wise person once said, "It is by our actions they will know us", and that is how we should be judged.

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