An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
Seanad Éireann — 2026-02-17
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Mike Kennelly (FG), Labour Panel

I wish to highlight a very real and deeply felt loss for the people of County Kerry, namely the lack of a paediatric dermatology consultant in Kerry University Hospital to serve our children. There is no dedicated paediatric dermatology consultant who covers Kerry. This means that children suffering from chronic skin conditions, including severe eczema, psoriasis and rare complex disorders, must travel long distances to access care. Families are being referred to Dublin, where ten paediatric consultants are currently employed. What does that mean in reality? It means long journeys for sick children in Kerry.
It means parents taking unpaid leave from work. It means additional travel expenses, accommodation costs and emotional strain. It means delayed appointments and prolonged discomfort for young patients who deserve timely specialist care close to home. For families in Kerry, healthcare should not depend on geography. Yet, right now, access to paediatric services clearly does. Recruiting a paediatric dermatology consultant to University Hospital Kerry and employing that person would not simply be an administrative decision. It would be a statement that the children of Kerry matter as much as those of the capital. It would reduce waiting times, ease pressure on the Dublin service and, most important, provide care in a setting that is accessible to and humane for families from Kerry.
I call on the Minister and the HSE to indicate what steps will be taken to recruit and appoint a paediatric dermatology consultant for University Hospital Kerry and to outline a clear timeline for delivering this essential service.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-02-17/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:38+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-17