asked the Minister for Health if he will consider supplying, free of charge, gluten-free bread to coeliac children.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Gluten-free Products.
15.
Gluten-free products, usually in the form of gluten-free flour, are already provided free of charge to children and adults who are covered by medical cards and who are suffering from coeliac disease.
Persons suffering from coeliac disease and who have limited eligibility may include the cost of gluten-free products in claims for refunds under the scheme which provides assistance towards the cost of drugs and medicines.
I am not considering any further development of these arrangements at present.
Would the Minister consider adding coeliac disease to the list of long-term diseases?
I must confess I did consider that but there were a great many requests asking me to include a great many long-term illnesses and I decided that I would include four new ones this year and that I have done. Regulations are now being made to include these four and I expect those regulations will be in operation in a matter of a week or two. The four being added are multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, Parkinson's disease and acute leukaemia. I hope it may be possible in the near future to include other diseases and possibly coeliac.