I thank the Social Democrats and Deputy Rice for bringing this motion forward. I will primarily focus on one aspect of the motion. The motion calls on the Government to "expand the ... [chronic disease management programme] to include severe and enduring mental health difficulties, epilepsy and other conditions as appropriate, in consultation with GPs delivering the service". I am an epileptic. That is something I have learned to live with but that would not have been possible without the support of my consultant, the epilepsy nurses in CUH and, very importantly, my own GP. Early last year, I attended and spoke at an event in UCC organised by Epilepsy Ireland. There was a section titled "Is it time for Epilepsy to be added to the Chronic Disease Management Programme?" I played a very minor part in the event. There were healthcare professionals, advocacy groups and people living with epilepsy there. The resounding answer to that overall question was "Yes". Epilepsy is an incredibly common condition. While some people need access to special care, others do not. However, it is still important that we have continued access to health services. A study conducted by University College Cork and Epilepsy Ireland investigating the relationship between people with epilepsy and their GPs found that GPs and people with epilepsy described a limited role for GPs in epilepsy care. There were varying levels of engagement from people with epilepsy with their GPs and vice versa. Limited knowledge of epilepsy was cited as a challenge for GPs working in family practices. It is a strongly held belief that if epilepsy were to be added to the CDMP, it would help improve these attitudes by encouraging GPs to upskill their knowledge of epilepsy and, ultimately, this would help to relieve pressure on already stretched specialist epilepsy services, leading to better health outcomes for people with epilepsy.

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