Health committee to hear of 'life changing' treatment for severe allergies 

Sheila Downes' children live with severe food allergies and have to carry Epi-pens at all times, including to school.

A mother of two from Clare who travels to France to get food allergy treatment for her children is to call for an action plan on allergy care on Wednesday.

First aid programmes in schools and childcare settings should be funded by the government, Sheila Downes and other members of Allergy Action Ireland (AAI) will also tell the Oireachtas health committee.

Ms Downes will talk about the challenges her family face. Both Josh, aged 11, and Erin, aged seven, live with severe food allergies and have to carry Epi-pens at all times including to school.

They have been going to France since November 2023 to access oral immunotherapy treatment. 

She is expected to explain how this has been life changing for her children and is potentially life saving for them.

She will call for wider access to this for Irish families, as well as more funding for allergy services.

Ms Downes and AAI will call for allergies to be formally recognised and resourced as “a serious public health issue”.

This parent-led action group will also call for more access to oral immunotherapy treatment.

More broadly the group is expected demand “standardise allergy care across education and childcare settings”.

New ambassador 

This week AAI has also announced west Cork resident and Hollyoaks star Ali Bastian — who played Becca Dean — as its ambassador.

She is not expected to attend the committee hearing but her daughter Isla’s care is likely to be discussed.

Isla, aged five, was diagnosed at just eight weeks old as allergic to milk, egg, peanuts, nuts, and sesame. She suffers with severe eczema.

However Ms Bastian has discovered with proper treatment, these risks can be reduced. She is supporting the call for better access to care for everyone.

She describes her family’s care at Cork University Hospital as “transformative”. Isla has completed a milk ladder treatment plan and outgrew this allergy.

She is also having oral immunotherapy treatment to treat her egg allergy under consultant paediatric allergist Dr Juan Trujillo.

On one occasion Isla was accidentally given pasta with mayonnaise at crèche. Her mother arrived there in time to give her emergency medication.

“It is incredibly difficult psychologically for families living with severe allergies,” Ms Bastian said.

“You live in a state of constant vigilance. We have been fortunate to receive outstanding care in Cork, and I want every family in Ireland to have access to that same level of support.” 

The committee will also hear calls for “mandatory national training with individual action plans and fully funded first aid programmes in every school and childcare setting” from AAI speakers.

“Families should not have to rely on luck, private care, or geography,” a spokeswoman said.

“Allergies are serious, chronic, and potentially life-threatening. We need national leadership and a coordinated strategy.”

• Niamh Griffin is Health Correspondent.