Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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2102. To ask the Minister for Health her views on a report (details supplied) regarding allergy services and policies in Ireland; to respond to each of the recommendations in this report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44686/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Food safety policy is a priority for my Department, and this is informed by scientific advice from the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) and from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

It is of note that EFSA has concluded that, while food allergies affect a relatively small proportion of the population, an allergic reaction can be severe, even potentially fatal and that it is increasingly apparent that people with food allergies or intolerances experience a very significant reduction in quality of life.

There are currently no plans to develop a national allergy strategy or national allergen register in the Department of Health. However, I am informed by the FSAI that there are a number of official controls in place in Ireland relating to allergens. In addition, there are several Regulations at EU level setting out the responsibilities of food business operators regarding allergen management and food information.

FSAI has advised that it routinely publishes “Allergen alerts” on its website (www.fsai.ie) and it also facilitates the direct notification of food allergen alerts for consumers who have subscribed through the FSAI website. The FSAI website also contains extensive literature, training material and other information on food allergens for enforcement officers, food businesses and consumers.

I have been informed that Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) has an Allergy Team who currently run clinics out of CHI at Crumlin and Temple Street as well as CHI at Connolly and Tallaght. This Team deal with allergy prevention and diagnosis along with treatment for Allergy Rhinitis, and drug, venom, and vaccine allergies. The Team aims to improve the quality of life for children with allergies and their carers, to minimise the risk of allergy, to promote food allergy prevention, and to provide Irish healthcare professionals with allergy educational resources.

In relation to the collection and use of allergy data, the European Health Data Space (EHDS) Regulation was published and came into force in March 2025. It will provide a common governance framework and harmonised infrastructure for the use of electronic health data in and between EU Member States for primary purposes (patient care and treatment) and secondary purposes (research and innovation, policy making, education and training). The EHDS Regulation improves access for patients (and healthcare providers) to their personal electronic health data in an Electronic Health Record (EHR) and outlines the categories of data that must be included in an EHR, including patient summaries, ePrescriptions, eDispensations, medical images, medical reports, and discharge reports. The Regulation also specifies the data fields that must be included in the patient summaries, one of which is allergies.

Regarding the reuse (or secondary use) of electronic health data, I am informed that the Regulation provides for data users to request access to defined categories of electronic health data for a defined list of purposes (including research, policymaking, statistics). Data from EHRs fall into scope and can therefore be requested.

Safefood have been working to increase the level of awareness and knowledge of food allergies and intolerances wherever food is sold or provided on the island of Ireland. This is done through a combination of in-person events such as training workshops and webinars, and practical resources that are targeted at specific audiences to ensure more nuanced (and therefore relevant) allergen management in specific food environments.

To ensure all of its activities are based on robust scientific and up-to-date knowledge, Safefood relies on its own in-house expertise, its Advisory Committee of appointed experts, and experts in food allergy and intolerance appointed in an advisory capacity to its Knowledge Network. This ensures Safefood is well networked to expertise on the island of Ireland and elsewhere, and this allows it to stay fully informed of the latest medical and research information with regard to food allergy and intolerance. This translates into relevant, practical and accessible training and resources for the target audiences to facilitate greater awareness of food allergy issues, and increased confidence in addressing these within their own work areas. I am advised that funding for all new service developments is considered in the first instance as part of the annual estimates process, in the context of overall prioritisation of available funding. This process seeks to balance available funding across all service areas to achieve the best possible outcomes for the greatest number of service users and prioritise areas of greatest need

I have referred the topic of investment in hospital and community-based services to the HSE for direct reply.

In relation to oral immunotherapy services, CHI has advised that there is currently no timeline for the roll out of Oral Immunotherapy services for the treatment of children living with allergies in Ireland.

Safefood works with a range of stakeholders to provide in-person events such as training workshops and webinars and develop practical resources that are targeted at specific audiences to ensure more nuanced (and therefore relevant) allergen management in specific food environments. This includes schools and childcare settings.

Following a series of in-person workshops for Early Childhood Providers in Ireland and Northern Ireland during 2015 and 2016, Safefood developed resources to assist the providers in accommodating and protecting children in their care who may have food allergy or intolerance. These resources can be accessed here www.safefood.net/education/allergies.

Safefood is currently updating allergy information for primary schools in Ireland. This is being carried out in association with the Irish Primary Principals Network (IPPN), Irish primary schools and Irish Food Allergy Network (IFAN).

The relevant legislative provisions underpinning the supply and administration of epinephrine in suspected anaphylaxis is the Medicinal Products (Prescription and Control of Supply) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2015 www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2015/si/449/made/en/print

These Regulations provide for the supply and administration of specified prescription-only medicinal products without a prescription to a person by a pharmacist or by an individual appointed by a listed organisation for the purpose of saving life or reducing severe distress in emergency situations, where that pharmacist or individual has completed an approved course of training regarding the administration of such products and the management of any adverse reaction.

These Regulations also provide for the creation of a list of organisations that may procure the specified medicinal products for supply and administration in an emergency by trained persons in the organisation. For context, ‘listed organisation’ means an organisation or emergency rescue organisation listed in the list of organisations maintained by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA).

The HPRA website provides detailed information on emergency medicines, including what they are, who can use them, and how they are regulated. This can be found at the following link www.hpra.ie/regulation/human-medicine/patients-and-healthcare-professionals/emergency-medicines. The HPRA may be contacted directly for further guidance on emergency medicines.

The HSE has statutory responsibility for medicine pricing and reimbursement decisions, in accordance with the provisions of the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. There are several epinephrine products available on the reimbursement list. These are available to those who are eligible for a medical card under the GMS Scheme or via the Drugs Payment Scheme (DPS).

The provision of financial supports is a matter for the Department of Social Protection.