Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

As the Minister of State read through that list of hospitals, she knew that as a Waterford Deputy, I was going to get up and point out that 600,000 people live within one hour of University Hospital Waterford, and yet no long Covid services are provided there. I have been dealing with a number of people through my constituency office and, to be quite honest about it, with a number of people in my family and the main message I am getting is that they do not feel they are being believed because they outwardly look perfect and in the full of their health. Even if people go to their GP, the process of identifying long Covid really just involves trying to rule out everything else so that all that is left is long Covid. These are people who are managing their energy from day to day. One constituent of mine came into my office and said that he had not bathed his new child because he knew that doing so would take too much energy out of him and that he would not be able to get up for work the next morning. He has exhausted his paid leave and all of those things. Quite simply, these people feel like they are not believed and not supported. That is something we have to turn around.

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