Kildare type 1 diabetes advocates and TDs meet at Leinster House to give in signed petition asking HSE to make new device accessible to all
(Main image: Kildare diabetes advocates Davina Lyon, Grainne Flynn and Liz Murphy with Kildare North TD Frank O'Rourke and Fianna Fail TD Mary Butler outside Leinster House)
By Kim O'Leary
Earlier today a group of Type 1 diabetes advocates from Co Kildare travelled to Leinster House in Dublin to give a signed petition to Minister for Health Simon Harris and the HSE asking for new glucose monitoring technology, the Freestyle Libre, to be made available to all Type 1 dibetes sufferers.
The group met at the gates of Leinster House at 11:30am this morning with the group consisting of advocates of Davina Lyon, Grainne Flynn and Liz Murphy as well as other members of the Type 1 community with support from Fianna Fail TD for North Kildare Frank O'Rourke and Deputy Mary Butler and the petition was signed by more than 19,005 people.
The petition calls on the HSE to remove the age barrier criteria it has set and give access to this life changing technology to those who clinically need it most. Currently the Freestyle Libre is only available for children aged 4-21 with restrictions in place for adults and children with insulin pumps.
The petition was originally set up in January by Kildare-based diabetes advocate Davina Lyon, co-founder of Diabetes T One & Diabetes Life, who was herself diagnosed as an adult with Type 1 diabetes ten years ago before her 50th birthday. Ms Lyon said that she decided to set up a petition to amend the scheme to ensure equality for everyone with the condition
Speaking of the great turnout earlier today, Fianna Fail TD for Kildare North Frank O’Rourke said: “I was delighted to accept the petition today of 19,005 signatures with my colleague Deputy Mary Butler on behalf of people with Type 1 Diabetes. They are asking the Minister to make Freestyle Libre available to all Type 1 sufferers. The HSE must remove the current age barrier restriction. I want to thank Davina Lyon, Grainne Flynn, Liz Murphy and all from the Type 1 Diabetes Community for their tireless work on this important issue.”
![[caption id="attachment_220062" align="alignnone" width="300"] Kildare North TD Frank O' Rourke and Fianna Fail TD Mary Butler were in attendance at the gates of Leinster House in Dublin to support the petition[/caption]](https://www.kildarenow.com/jpim-static/image/2026/04/29/20/iconic-upload-2018-04-18180043-Diabetes-Leinster-House-2-300x225.png?crop=3:2,smart&trim=&width=640&quality=65)
Gráinne Flynn, one of the campaign leaders stated “The Freestyle Libre provides more information than a finger prick meter about glucose levels to base our insulin dosing decisions on. This is more than just a game changer in diabetes, it empowers us to manage our diabetes better, reducing the number of dangerous low and high glucose levels. What frustrates me so much is that the HSE seems to have based its decision not on clinical evidence of improved quality of life but on cost saving reasons, indicating that, anyone with type 1 diabetes over age 21 is not worth investing €62.60 per year.”
It is understood that Ireland is the only country in Europe to not have reimbursed the Freestyle Libre system as well as placing an age restriction.
“All we are seeking, is the opportunity for our Consultant Endocrinologists to be able to make a decision based on clinical need to prescribe the Libre to patients they feel need it most, regardless of age. It’s not a lot to ask," added Ms Flynn.
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