Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue and for his long-term commitment in respect of it. He has consistently raised it in the House on a number of occasions. The Government continues to support the roll-out of a national service for long Covid. In 2022, about €2.2 million was provided for the implementation of the model of care. That trebled to €6.6 million in 2023. Now, €8.8 million has been allocated for 2024. There are six long Covid clinics and six post-acute Covid clinics operating nationally. These are staffed by consultants in the areas of infectious disease, respiratory medicine, psychiatry and neurology, as well as allied health professionals and clinical psychologists. St. Vincent's University Hospital, Beaumont Hospital, Tallaght University Hospital, St. James's Hospital, Cork University Hospital, University Hospital Galway and University Hospital Limerick have long Covid clinics. The post-acute Covid clinics operational under the model of care are located in the Mater Hospital, Tallaght University Hospital, St. James's Hospital, Cork University Hospital, University Hospital Galway and University Hospital Limerick. The HSE is working with Letterkenny University Hospital for a more definitive timeline around its anticipated launch date. The HSE also advises there is a tertiary neurocognitive clinic in St. James's Hospital led by a consultant neurologist with a background in neurocognitive disorders. That facility is accepting referrals from long Covid post-acute clinics around the country.

The Deputy spoke about a poll he commissioned. I have not seen the details of the polling or the methodology used. I do not know, for example, if it has been extrapolated from the poll that there are 60,000 people involved. In any event, there is the issue of how to develop effective therapeutic options for patients suffering from long Covid. The health service is still advising that this is very problematic and poses a number of challenges because the pathophysiology, which is the physical and biological abnormalities in the body that occur because of the disease, is not yet clearly understood. No evidence-based treatment options exist at present for long Covid, which has resulted in the use of a symptom-management approach, which mainly includes medical assessment and referral to the appropriate specialist.

The HIQA review, as the Deputy said, was commissioned and the results were published in December 2022. Monitoring of international data and research continues. The HSE has undertaken an epidemiological survey, FADA, which was launched in March last year. The results are due later this year. That survey will perhaps provide an up-to-date accurate insight into the prevalence of long Covid in the Irish population and risk factors for developing long Covid and inform service development. The HSE is engaging with GP representatives and patient groups including Long Covid Ireland, a patient advocacy group, on service development.

In respect of children, diagnosis and care are provided by GPs and existing referral pathways within paediatric services. The evolving evidence in the context of long Covid in children is again being monitored by the HSE. The challenge is to try to understand the impact of this disease in the first instanced and then to utilise existing research more effectively and quickly in terms of treatment options and a more comprehensive service for patients with long Covid.

In respect of children

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