Healthcare Policy Seanad Éireann — 2026-06-16 ============================================================ Joe O'Reilly (FG), Labour Panel I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach for the warm welcome earlier for my wonderful colleague Camila. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell. He is a very apt person to address this question as he comes from a distinguished medical family himself, in the present generation and in past generations. I wish to raise an issue concerning people living with Addison's disease. Could the Minister for Health consider whether this condition should be included under the long-term illness, LTI, scheme? It is my contention that it should. Addison's disease is a serious lifelong condition that affects the body's ability to produce essential hormones needed to regulate blood pressure, metabolism, energy levels and the body's response to illness and stress. For those living with the condition, medication is not optional. It is something they depend on every day of their lives. In fact, up to 90% of cases are caused by permanent autoimmune damage to the adrenal glands, meaning patients rely on lifelong hormone replacement therapy because their bodies can no longer produce hormones naturally. Nobody chooses to live with Addison's disease. It is quite the contrary. Nobody can take a break from it, and nobody living with it can simply stop treatment and carry on as normal. I will list the symptoms, which include severe abdominal, back or leg pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, weakness, confusion, loss of consciousness and dangerously low blood pressure. Treatments can include emergency hospital admission, intravenous steroids and fluids and ongoing monitoring. Without medication, people can become seriously ill very quickly and may suffer an adrenaline crisis and a medical emergency, involving what I just listed, that can require urgent hospital treatment and can, in some cases, be fatal. The reality is that people with Addison's disease must carefully manage their condition every day. They must take medication consistently, carry emergency medical information and be prepared for situations where illness or injury can suddenly increase their need for treatment. We often speak about supporting people with long-term illnesses. We speak about preventative healthcare. We speak about ensuring that people receive the treatment they need before their condition becomes a crisis. That is why I believe there is a strong case for reviewing the position of Addison's disease under the long-term Illness scheme. This is not about seeking special treatment; this is about recognising the reality of a lifelong condition that requires continuous medication and ongoing medical management. I therefore encourage the Minister and her Department, through the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, to engage with clinicians, patient representatives and relevant stakeholders to examine the case, which I believe firmly exists and should not take long to establish. The current arrangements do not adequately reflect the needs. There is a compelling case to include it in the long-term illness scheme into the future. The question is not how many people are affected; the question is whether people whose health depends entirely on life-long hormone replacement therapy are receiving appropriate supports from the State. My final contention is that there is an inherent injustice in not treating this illness comparatively and in an equitable way with other illnesses, some of which in fact do not have as grievous symptoms. --- Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted. Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-06-16/debate/main Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:55:03+00:00 Sitting date: 2026-06-16