Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)

I apologise for being late. I thought the Seanad was going to have a vote so I was waiting for the bell. I ask Members to excuse me if I am out of breath.

I ask the Minister for Education and Skills, through the Minister of State, to require teacher education colleges to include a component for pre-service teachers on awareness of fatal allergies. An example of this is nut allergies, which can lead to an anaphylactic shock in children. This has happened in schools and unfortunately the teacher may not be prepared or trained to cope with it.

Anaphylaxis is the medical term given to a severe allergic reaction that affects the whole body. In its most extreme form, the reaction results in a person going into anaphylactic shock, which can be fatal. I have seen someone suffer anaphylactic shock. It is quite deforming and the whole face can twist as if it was a stroke. The whole body comes out in a severe rash. There is a growing list of everyday items that can give rise to anaphylactic shock for some people, including foods such as nuts, kiwis and sesame seeds, insect stings and drugs. If people become allergic to antibiotics, the overuse of antibiotics can induce anaphylactic shock. The life-threatening nature of this type of severe allergy makes it a very serious condition to live with for those at risk. The good news is that an anaphylactic reaction can be reversed through the injection of medicine called adrenaline if applied fast enough. Therefore, through a combination of proper diagnosis of those at risk, careful avoidance of the particular cause of the allergy and the constant availability of emergency medication, people at risk can lead a normal life. The major issue is that those caring for such people, such as teachers or special needs assistants, have this information.

The most common causes of anaphylactic shock are nuts, and in particular the very common peanuts; fish, especially shellfish; sesame seeds; dairy products; eggs; soya; wasp or bee stings; natural latex such as rubber; penicillin and other drugs. Severe allergic reactions to fresh fruit, including kiwis and apples, are also increasingly being reported. In some individuals, exercise can trigger a reaction, either on its own or in combination with other factors such as ingestion of a particular food.

What are the symptoms and what would a teacher in the classroom need to watch for? Typical symptoms are swelling of throat and mouth. I know that one carer found a person with the throat about to close, which left the person close to suffocation. Other typical symptoms include difficulty in swallowing or speaking, alterations in heart rate, difficulty breathing due to severe asthma or throat swelling, hives anywhere on the body, especially large hives, generalised flushing of the skin, abdominal cramps, nausea and vomiting, a sudden feeling of weakness and a drop in blood pressure, a sense of impending doom and collapse and unconsciousness. These symptoms could be symptoms of other diseases so it is important to have a real understanding of what is anaphylaxis. The above details are extracts from the information sources available, which includes the website of the Irish anaphylaxis campaign.

I would be grateful if the Minister for Education and Skills would make arrangements to ensure an appropriate system is put in place to highlight the awareness of these conditions to both primary and secondary pre-service students of teaching. As can be seen from what is outlined above, all the knowledge in the world on child psychology etc. will not matter if a child in the classroom presents with the above symptoms and the teacher fails to recognise them as potentially fatal. I strongly recommend that just one component, class or module throughout the three-year teacher training course would be on anaphylaxis awareness. That is very little to ask for. In effect it might just amount to a 45 minute session. That may be enough to save the life of a child, as awareness of the symptoms can lead to quick action. A very short training course is all that is required. It should also be included in ongoing teacher refresher courses. I accept budgets are tight. I would not envisage that this simple addition to the course would cost anything because one could invite in a health professional to speak to 300 students at a time. I urge the Minister to consider this inclusion. Allergies, unfortunately, are on the increase. Awareness can save lives. We should act on a request such as this that is easy to implement.