Calls for Irish access to oral immunotherapy after girl overcomes severe peanut allergy

Sheila Downes' two children, Josh,11, and Erin, 7, who have allergies including nuts, sesame seeds, and peanuts, have been treated largely in the French public health system. File picture

A seven-year-old girl from Co Clare can now safely eat peanuts after receiving treatment in France to overcome a severe allergy — and her mother is calling for the therapy to be made available in Ireland.

Sheila Downes and other members of Allergy Action Ireland told the Oireachtas health committee on Wednesday that this treatment is available in other EU countries.

Her two children, Josh,11, and Erin, 7, who have allergies including nuts, sesame seeds, and peanuts, have been treated largely in the French public health system. 

Ms Downes said she had spent more than €25,000 between flights to Lille, hotels, and costs for oral immunotherapy treatment since 2023.

“I take my children to France every six months for oral immunotherapy treatment,” Ms Downes told Senator Tom Clonan.  “We’ve had great results."

Oral immunotherapy treatment involves the gradual introduction of an allergenic food. It helps reduce the severity of allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, but is not a cure.

“My daughter wasn’t able to handle or tolerate any peanut. She was anaphylactic to them when she commenced,” Ms Downes said. 

She now eats two peanuts, three times a week, safely, and that is life-changing and life-saving for her. 

Ms Downes added: “My son has now gone to free-eating for peanut and sesame. My daughter is working towards free-eating for hazelnut — I never even thought this was possible in this country.” 

She said four to five visits are typically required, costing “about €4,000 to bring a child from being anaphylactic to being able to tolerate their allergen".

Cork University Hospital is the only public hospital offering the treatment under a pilot programme that began last summer, the committee heard.

To date, it has seen 311 patients, with “about 50% of them travelling from outside Cork", said committee chair Pádraig Rice.

Allergy Action Ireland member Ruth Kidney called for more high‑quality centres, noting in a recent Irish study, only 29% of the 474 children tested were actually allergic. She said the remainder were avoiding foods unnecessarily.