Lorraine Clifford-Lee (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise the issue of hyperemsis. It is an issue I have been raising since 2018. I am sure Members will remember me raising it on several occasions. It is a condition suffered by pregnant women. It is sometimes referred to as morning sickness. As someone who suffered it during my second pregnancy, I can say that it is far from morning sickness. It is an extremely debilitating condition. Women suffer from prolonged and severe nausea when they have this condition. They suffer from severe dehydration, low blood pressure and it has a severe impact on the mental health of the expectant mother. This severe impact on mental health prolongs any issues post pregnancy and it has a deep and lasting effect on the mental health of the mother. I have spoken to mothers who have been put off having subsequent pregnancies because of this extremely difficult condition.

There is a drug that is prescribed by the HSE, which I have taken myself. It is called Cariban. However, it is not available to those with medical cards or through the drugs payment scheme. It is a very expensive drug and can cost up to €3,000 during the course of the pregnancy. That is an absolutely prohibitive cost for anybody to bear, but especially for those who are on the medical card scheme. They cannot get it. I have spoken to people who have bought the drug on the Internet just so they can function and can continue to with their pregnancy.

We have a very poor record of supporting pregnant women in this country and providing them with the healthcare they need. The lack of access for women to the drug due to financial constraints is an outrage. I want the message to be sent loud and clear from this House today that, whatever the issue that is preventing the drug from being available under the medical card scheme or the drugs payment scheme, it needs to be resolved. Women and their families are suffering severely. It is not okay to put it on the long finger and allow this to go on.

As I said, I have been raising this issue in this Chamber since 2018 and it is still an issue for women in Ireland. I want the message to go out loud and strong today.