Brian Brennan: Urgent plea for Arklow teacher's US surgery
Brian Brennan raised the case of Eimear Barn in the Dáil, calling for urgent action after consultants advised her only viable surgery is in Baltimore, USA. He outlines the HSE treatment abroad application and stresses the time-critical nature of her condition.
Case details
Brian Brennan describes Eimear Barn, a 30-year-old primary school teacher from Arklow, who has an extremely rare genetic disorder. She had open heart surgery at age 10, emergency heart surgery three years ago followed by a severe stroke, and now faces three more aneurysms requiring highly complex operations only advised to be done in Baltimore.
Treatment abroad application
Brennan says the family has been working with the HSE and that an application under the treatment abroad scheme was submitted in April. The HSE has sought further information and is evaluating the case. The scheme operates under EU Regulation 88304 as a consultant-led referral route to other EU states, the UK or Switzerland; there is no statutory framework for referrals outside those jurisdictions.
Political response and next steps
The Minister present, Carroll-MacNeill, and other ministers have committed to engage directly. The Minister for Health is seeking urgent updates and the HSE will continue to work with the family as documentation is completed. Brennan urged that every possible effort be made to secure the life-saving surgery.
Community impact and urgency
Brennan also noted local fundraising and community support in Arklow but warned that time is running out. The video records an appeal for rapid co-ordination between the HSE, ministers and the family to ensure timely access to the complex treatment recommended by consultants in Baltimore.
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I want to talk to you about one of my constituents, Eimear Barn. Eimear is a 30-year-old from Arklow, a primary school teacher in Gaelskill and a very talented and popular young woman. But Eimear needs our help. She has an extremely rare genetic disorder which led to open heart surgery at the age of just 10. Three years ago, Eimear had again to undergo emergency heart surgery. The surgery saved her life, but there were complications and Eimear suffered a severe stroke. Recently, Eimear has been told that there are three more aneurysms that require immediate surgery, which is highly complex. Eimear has been advised by multiple hospital consultants that this operation cannot be carried out in Ireland and must only take place in Baltimore, USA. Eimear has worked with the HSE and I've been in touch directly with our minister on a treatment abroad scheme application. The wonderful community of Arklow and beyond are also fundraising, but honestly, simply, Eimear is running out of time and we must do everything possible to ensure that she gets this life-saving critical surgery. Go raibh maith agat. I want to thank Deputy Brennan for raising this issue with the usual passion and empathy and decency he brings to all matters. He brings to the floor of the Dáil and I know our colleague Minister Cara MacNeill, who's here with us, is also working with you on this and I'll certainly work with you on this too. The first thing I want to say is we're all thinking of Eimear and want to send our very best wishes to her and her family. I think none of us can even begin to imagine how difficult the last number of years have been. I suppose the factual point to make is that the HSE does operate the EU Treatment Abroad Scheme for people entitled under what they call EU Regulation 88304. I'm just putting that on the record to be helpful. That scheme is a consultant-led scheme and it allows for a public consultant based in Ireland to refer a public patient who's normally resident in Ireland for treatment in the healthcare service of another EU member state, the UK or Switzerland. There is no statutory framework for referral of patients outside of that. Don't say that to be difficult, just say that to be honest. But the HSE has informed officials in the department that it has received an application in relation to Eimear's situation in April. I know the HSE now is trying to evaluate that. It has sought some further information and when they've received that documentation they will work their way through and engage further with the family. I know the Minister for Health will continue to seek urgent updates on the status of that application and of course Minister Carol McNeill will engage directly with you Brian as well. Thank you very much.
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