Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim mo bhuíochas leis an gCathaoirleach as ucht an deis an t-ábhar tábhachtach seo a ardú. Bhí sé ar an sceideal an Déardaoin seo caite ach ní raibh mé anseo in am. Bhí me ceithre nóimead déanach an lá sin.

I rise this morning to raise an important issue that has caused considerable concern in the area of Duleek, County Meath, particularly in a small part of the village, and, according to media reports, in Mornington, which is about seven miles away. I refer to a number of cases of a disease called Guillain-Barré syndrome, which I will call GBS for short. The best description I can give of GBS is from a victim of the condition who wrote a little booklet on his experiences before he knew other people suffered from it in his area. He said:

That immune system of the body attacks the nerves going to and controlling the muscles. Instead of the signal from the brain telling the muscle to move, it goes to the outer skin where it feels like pins and needles, or severe nettle stings, all the while happening. The illness starts at the toes and feet, moves up the lower legs and sometimes reaches the neck area. Even the face and eyelids can be affected. All bodily functions are knocked out as it comes up the body. Bowel, bladder and lungs can also be affected.

Clearly, it is a serious disease, but fortunately it is a rare one. I understand that one can expect one or two cases per 100,000 people, not per annum but in total. There have been four confirmed cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome in the village of Duleek. I have met two of the people confirmed to have it, who are recovering. They are neighbours, and the other two confirmed cases live close by. There are two other cases in which GBS may be implicated, and the people affected live very close to the people who have been confirmed as sufferers. I am unfamiliar with the case in Mornington which was cited in media reports. Mornington is seven miles from Duleek.

The literature available on Guillain-Barré syndrome states that it is very rare, but there is also literature available that suggests that it can appear in clusters. There have been references in the literature to clusters occurring in China and Arizona. Environmental causes have sometimes been linked to outbreaks or clusters, but other issues are also involved. There is a medical trigger for GBS, which is usually an infection. I want to know why so many cases have occurred in one small area.

The clusters that have become apparent in other areas were over a period of many years and number only slightly more than the number of cases discovered in the small village of Duleek. This apparent cluster in Duleek, County Meath, and the general east Meath area appears to be quite significant. These people have been badly affected by GBS in the past year or two.

There are environmental concerns in the region. I will not outline them today, because it is not my role to blame anyone, if blame can be apportioned. Having talked to people who suffer from the disease, and in one case a person two years after he or she first acquired the disease, I know they are keen to discover the reason for the number of cases in the area. They are also keen that nobody else should suffer, because they have suffered hugely.

It is a deeply worrying time for everyone. I live within three miles of the two victims confirmed to have the illness - the two people I have met. The matter is deeply worrying for people in the area. We would like the HSE to conduct an investigation, which I understand has been agreed to. An investigation should include the EPA and Irish Water, because water has been blamed in some cases. I am not saying any one thing has caused it or has anything to do with the incidence of GBS. I am saying we should investigate all possible causes and do as much as possible. Another case of GBS has been discovered in the general Cavan-Meath vicinity. The case has been mentioned to me but I will not say where it is because I do not have the information first hand.

The incidence of GBS is of concern. Some of the clusters that have been reported in the literature over the years encompassed large areas, perhaps the same size as County Meath.

However, this is a very small area and if there are other cases in County Meath, it paints an even more worrying picture. I seek answers and for this investigation to proceed as quickly as possible within a short timeframe. It should bring in all the statutory agencies that may be relevant to it and try to get answers for these people.

Those who have been in the acute hospital services as a result of this have nothing but praise for the staff. It is important to mention this because this is an extremely rare disorder and the staff in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, have received high compliments from the two men I have met who are victims of this syndrome. I wished to put that on the record because the staff often get forgotten. However, the big issue in this regard is to ascertain whether there is a reason for this and, if so, to put an end to it.