Children wait 3 years for allergy tests

Children with potentially fatal food allergies are forced to wait up to three years to be tested because hospital screening services cannot cope with demand.

Up to 5% of children under five suffer from a food allergy, commonly to milk and eggs, but some may be at risk from foods they have never eaten, such as nuts or fish.

Services in Cork, Dublin and Co Louth that can identify food hazards and manage the risk continue to be overwhelmed.