Joe Flaherty (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I would welcome the Minister for Health coming to the Chamber to discuss an expansion of the long-term illness scheme to include a number of lifelong and hereditary diseases. Specifically, I would like to look at Ehlers-Danlos syndromes, which can require multiple hospital stays, ongoing medication and treatment. I appreciate that some of the medications can be accessed through the drugs payment scheme but there is no recourse for recouping treatment therapy or specialist costs for those not eligible for a medical card. I am aware of a case where both a mother and her young daughter have the condition. The mother has had to give up work and it has huge financial and emotional implications for this family. I would welcome the Minister coming before the House to give her views on this.

I ask you, a Chathaoirligh, to indulge me. It is a sad day for us in Longford as we mark the passing of Jude Flynn, one of the country's foremost self-taught historians and native of Gortletteragh. He worked all his life in Longford post office and was a founding member of the Longford Historical Society in 1967. The historical society honoured his life work in 2022. He donated his extraordinary collection of recordings, which he first conducted in the 1980s, to the Longford library service. I have no doubt this will be an invaluable service and a vault of memories for multiple Longford families over many generations.

I was delighted to attend his 90th birthday party two years ago along with his sons Ciaran and Joe, his daughter Gráinne who travelled from Australia, his sister Peggy and his beloved seven grandchildren. While the people of Longford will remember Jude as a remarkable historian and remarkable community man, his family will remember him as an outstanding father who always put his family first. Jude was truly a unique man and represented the very best of what Longford and indeed rural Ireland have to offer.