The health service provision for treating allergies is "abysmal", the Green Party said today.
Asthma affects over 470,000 people in Ireland but there are only three public immunologists and one paediatric allergist treating the entire population, health spokesman John Gormley said.
"This abysmal by any medical standards, even Irish ones. While most allergies can be treated quickly and effectively, a total lack of resources has led to a process where many allergy sufferers flounder between visits to GPs, consultant specialists and the private allergy sector desperately trying to obtain the correct diagnosis," Mr Gormley said.
The party today launched its asthma and allergies paper proposing combined immunology and allergy centres for treating sufferers as outpatients. A review of the as yet unregulated allergy-testers was also included in the plan.
The paper also proposes a new post-graduate diploma in allergy reflecting increasing numbers of allergic patients.
The party also proposes a lifting of the restrictions on ambulance crews, schools and hospitality services having access to adrenalin for treating anaphylactic shock, a sudden and potentially fatal reaction to an allergen.