Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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200. To ask the Minister for Health why the recent report on a possible cluster of Guillain-Barré syndrome in east County Meath was confined to a study of cases in the village of Duleek. [12399/16]

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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201. To ask the Minister for Health if and when he will act on the recommendations in the recent Guillain-Barré syndrome cluster report; and the cost of so doing. [12400/16]

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 200 and 201 together.

As the Deputy is aware, the HSE has published a report on claims of an association between Guillan Barre Syndrome and environmental conditions in Duleek, County Meath. The report has found no evidence of any environmental issue having a causal association with Guillan Barre Syndrome in the Duleek area. Indeed the number of Guillan Barre Syndrome patients in the Duleek area, during the time period investigated, is in keeping with the expected incidence of the disease for this time period allowing for the wide variation in small numbers when the incidence of rare diseases is examined.

I understand that the report, which has not yet been formally submitted to my Department, has three recommendations. These are:

- A national Environmental and Health Unit should be formed to assess alleged risks to public health from environmental stressors;

- This unit should put a surveillance system in place to monitor health data and assess any unusual incidents of disease or syndromes in the population; and

- As there is currently no national register for rare diseases including Guillan Barre Syndrome, consideration should be given to establishing such a register as per the recommendation in the National Rare Disease Plan for Ireland 2014-2018 for an All-Ireland Network of Rare Disease Registries.

These recommendations are solely within the remit of the HSE and I am aware that Dr Kevin Kelleher, Assistant National Director, Health and Well Being, Public Health at the HSE is replying directly to the Deputy in this regard.