My girlfriend needs a gluten free diet. Shops like dunnes do have an excellent dietary special aisle, but the prices are expensive…if only one of the big shops would lower their prices they could make very good business.

The way it was done so quietly and with short notice is so sneaky,and (they) wonder then how people get so upset?

There was a gluten-free product allowance? Now I find out. ( not trolling for once, my daughter has a severe intolerance ).

Ah this really is the lowest of the low, just when you think this government can’t go any lower they go and do a thing like this. I know a few coeliac’s , one lad has basically been a coeliac all his life and had to get everything GF, from flour to make anything he needed to breakfast cereal, bread and pizza bases. If he found biscuits or scones that were GF it was a real treat for him. I know his family are not too well off and this was got on the drug payment scheme every month so this is really going to hit them hard. Not good, not good at all.
You have to ask who these bastards are going to hit next, diabetic’s, asthmatic’s what about epileptic’s or maybe the deaf and blind? We all seem to be taking it saying “well at least we’re safe”, but safe untill when? This government seem to be constantly pushing it, testing the waters to see how far they can go, small cuts here, big cuts there and every time, despite a hue and cry, they get away with it. All we ever seem to say is “they wouldn’t get away with this in France”, so why are they getting away with it here, even they must be surprised with how much they’ve gotten away with at this stage?

Thanks Andrea! Golden wedding and 73rd birthday coming up early 2013.

To say I am disgusted is an understatement.My 4 year old is a coeliac and I got stuff like bread,pasta and cornflakes under this scheme.I didn`t know a thing about the cut until I read it here 5 minutes ago.This is going to put my food bill up by a substantial amount every week now.I never took advantage of the scheme and only ever ordered what I needed but last week I got an order (thankfully) and they chemist gave me extra which I tried to give back at the time but they insisted I take it.Now I know why.

This is really going to impact our budget, my husband is a coeliac and the special food is very expensive. He cooks a lot from scratch but still has to buy cereals etc. Well a bit of an odd one to axe considering high numbers of coeliacs in Ireland. I guess it is better than cutting support for expensive pharma medication…

They have cited the reason for cutting gluten free food as ‘doubt over clinical efficacy’. Gluten free food is our medicine. Without it we risk long term side effects and even cancer.
To cut this out for those on medical cards and disability allowance is a disgrace. Gluten free food can be very expensive and those with lower earning potential are going to suffer.
Targeting coeliacs, with such a large number of us in Ireland, seems unfair.
I would think there are room for savings in the scheme as products are generally more expensive in the pharmacy than the supermarket. No need to cut it entirely.

I got to say I really admire the French for the way they fight this kind of thing, the Irish really leave a lot to be desired in the way they meekly accept this kind of treatment for the elitists in this country..

I have several family members who are coeliac and not one of them ever heard about this scheme. So basically, nothing will change for them but I know how expensive the food is so I feel for the families who have come to rely on it. My sister can’t even use the same butter as the rest of us in case a bread crumb is transferred during buttering. Sounds drastic but a total necessity for her.

Diagonsed a coeliac last December and we don’t have a medical card. We joined the Coeliac Society of Ireland who offer great advice and produce a guide that outlines all foods that are made purely gluten-free, and ones that are mainstream, but gluten-free (there’s a lot). Yes, if you stuck to just gluten-free products, your shopping bill would soar. But with a bit of planning and research, you can on a budget eat healthy. Don’t forget to keep all your receipts, so you can claim back tax on all gluten-free products at the end of the year.

I have Coeliac disease and a miniature loaf of bread can cost 3 -5 euro each! Make yourself a sandwich and half the loaf is gone. I get some bread and cereals on prescription through the drug payments scheme, but it only would cover less than half of what one person would eat per month.
Does anyone think this diet is a real choice? Eat normal food and we can get osteoporosis, immune problems, bowel cancer……
I can hardly believe Labour can stand over this disgraceful cut, while some wealthy pensioners get the medical card solely on age criteria. Disgusting.

This is shocking, I’m a diagnosed coeliac but have never used the scheme. I make a lot of stuff from scratch but i have only myself to look after, if i had coeliac children to provide for or was on a very low income this would have a huge impact. Horrible.

coeliac is a disease not condition the government change that wording a few years ago, it is a genetic condition just like down syndrome.If someone suffering from this disease does not eat gluten free foods, they will die and very slow of malnourishment. they will have no ability to absorb anything as the intestines will be destroyed, hence all sort of disease like cancer etc. Gluten free food have been scientifically proven to help in down syndrome and autism to ease and control symptoms. Gluten is a protein found is oats,barley,wheat and rye, these four cereals are used to bulk up other food to make it cheap to sell and great profit. there are so many companies now not labeling their food/good gluten free as of the new eu directives so life is going to really hard for Coeliac’s now.
a loaf of bread is €2.99 and €3.49 in tesco and dunnes, 4 rolls are white €3.25 or brown €2.00 , Rolls are tiny same size as the 20cent ones in the bakery ) 2kg Flour is €6.99. I could go on . Pity James O Reilly isn’t diagnosed a Coelia’c then these cuts wouldn’t be entertained

This is absolutely disgraceful on 2 counts, the 1st being the way is being handled and 2nd the government is targeting the vunerable. I am on a low income and both myself and my son are Coeliacs, I really do not know how I am going to manage!

And on the same day €600 Billion was paid to bondholders. An utterly morally bankrupt government.

As Marie Antoinette aka Leo varadkar would say “let them eat cake” of course it would have to be gluten free oh wait….

Urgh! The rage is strong in me tonight!

Typical Government response to the least able to respond to these miserable and unjust cuts while leaving the payments to consultants and doctors totalling 2.9 billion euro untouched.Something morally wrong here, a 10% cut imposed on this group would not see any distress on those concerned but would save the budget health deficit for the whole year. You know who to vote for next time

Clinical efficacy ??. Fact: coeliac disease is an autoimmune condition whereby gluten ,found in some grains and cereals , when ingested leads to an inflammatory response in the gut resulting in most cases vomiting, diarrhoea , bloating, wind and malabsorption causing vitamin deficiency weight loss and failure to thrive in babies . Repeated inflammatory insults increase the general risk of developing cancer if the gut . Those with autoimmune conditions are at increased risk if developing other ones . Ibs is not to be confused with coeliac disease or inflammatory bowel disease . This is more a wheat intolerance not a chronic illness . The only way to manage coeliac disease is to adhere to a strict gluten free diet .leo vradkar has a medical degree he should be able to comprehend this and educate the government . If not they can check out http://www.coeliac.ie convenience gluten free food is more expensive . My aunt bakes her own bread but foods cannot be prepared in factories with gluten containing products at all !! Nice to see the government once again thinking about their citizens with this cut and nice to see them manage it so well and transparently ….not !!

This Minister has to go! I am not coeliac, but at 72 years of age I am prescribed cholesterol meds and Omega triglycerides. These we’ll now have to pay for, on just the state pension! Was so hopeful 18 months ago when the coalition came to power. Yugh!

And this is the crux of the matter, as Ollie said above, when people are disgnosed with coeliac diease they are told they have an autoimmune disease and given all the information they need to care for themselves. This is care in the community at it’s most basic form, the patient cares for themselves by conforming to a rigid diet which means they will be free from symptoms for life, they may attend a consultant once or twice a year to confirm that everything is ticking along fine. To assist in this the state agrees to help with the high cost of this rigid diet, this is a mutually beneficial agreement as both sides get what they need from it, the patient gets their expensive food and continues to be well and the state gets to have the patient treat themselves.
But when this agreement is upset, when the expensive food must be paid for by the patient it’s inevitable that, especially in the current climate, there will be many people who simply cannot afford the prices of the GF food and their diet will slip. The result of this in time will be hospital admissions and an even bigger cost to the state, this is cutting corners, saving maybe tens of millions but the cost of that will be hundreds of millions in hospital admissions, expensive tests and of course suffering. Needless suffering.

Not all that surprised it got cut, the pharmacies were milking it. My Father who is a coeliac was told by his doctor about the scheme, he got a couple of packets of biscuits and a loaf of bread from the chemist, cost the state about 50 euro, he never again got them there!! Its a pity really but like everything if the state is picking up the tab its open to abuse.

Disgraceful not caring Government , who go after the most vulnerable in society always first .
Greatly damaging week for Government already and they are not back from their holidays yet.
Will the great socialist Party – Labour, be seen to take a stand against this ? Or will they as usual splutter along and accept their useless fate , for the sake of power – isn’t it always about power, over social concern, Labour ?

This is disgusting. My wife’s coeliac. I have watched her suffer terrible stomach pains, cramps and skin rashes if she consumes gluten. Her gluten free bread, pasta and cereal are her medicine. Gluten free is not a fad diet. It’s the only staples a coeliac can eat and it works. I will be emailing my Labour Td tonight. It’s time to ramp up the pressure on these overseers of hardship. I encourage all coeliacs and their family to do the same. Ps We have discovered Aldi sell a good range of gluten free bread, pasta sauces etc. Ask in store for a list of their GF products.

An utter disgrace. This is a sad reflection on our society .

Disgraceful. Underhand in the method used to revoke the scheme.
I am annoyed that labour are not doing what they were put there to do: protect the vulnerable. FG are only interested in preserving the wealth of the ‘elite’ by taxing and cutting the incomes and allowances of the poorer. They need to be removed from power

Makes no sense. Going to cost the country more in the long run to deal with coeliac cases. Short term abolition of a preventative measure creating a long term problem.

Susan is there any figure available for how much this is actually costing ?

Dose the tax rebate still apply !! For g/ free bread from you local shop

I was thinking about this cut last night. As a Coeliac I’d already seen how other countries treated Coeliacs better than Ireland, before this cut. In Malta they received a basic food allowance through their pharmacies for free. It was the same in Italy. In the UK Coeliacs are allowed a set number of items but with a huge variety to choose from. Now it will be nothing for us here.

To the ‘ why not avoid gluten/just eat rice’ comments above – you try rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, see how that works out!!

If you don’t suffer from the disease you don’t really understand the implications of the cuts. Gluten free diet is the only treatment option for this disease. ….What next no insulin for diabetics?

To qualify for a medical card nowadays, you have to be pretty damned broke. And those card holders that are also coeliacs genuinely cannot afford food without this.

This is just evil.

FFS! Q the delusional comments from people who actually approve of this dangerous government. Oh yes FG/LAB coalition is working! We all have a part to play in suffering while they pretend to fix this mess of a country. How much more can people take!?

What a cheap shot at us Coeliacs. It is really expensive to buy the staple gluten free foodstuffs and the allowance is vital. The figures show that that when person is a Coeliac there is a one in ten chance that a member of their family will also be coeliac. It is hereditary autoimmune condition. Therefore this cutback will severely affect families where a few members have the condition. Once again a stealth cutback implemented with no public debate.

When are people gonna stand up and be counted rather than moaning on these sites!!!!

I was on Xenical for PCOS, and it was really good, but the side effects weren’t worth it.

An utter disgrace. I would love to know how much savings are to be made from this ridiculous cut

Don’t be fooled! This is ‘death by a thousand cuts’ affecting minorities at first then those with special needs, the aged, the sick until the fabric of care in this country collapses. The decline in Health Care has already started and no one has shouted stop. The Voice, I believe will come from the elderly to save what will be left our health system.

“Death by a thousand cuts” I like that analogy. I was accused by a family member a few months back of getting on my soap box when I warned that unimaginable cuts were coming and unless we protested NOW, it would be the end of our Society as we have known it. Get out and support EVERY protest you hear about, demand that our Government stand up for the poor, oust them by whatever means necessary if they don’t, burn the bondholders, force the banks to fall on their sword and let the chips fall where they may. It can’t be any worse than what is lurking down the line.

Shhh listen do you hear Beggs or o O’Connor protesting about any of the cuts announced by Reilly……….nope neither did i…How much more cutbacks should the public have to endure before the elephant in the room is finally addressed… yes Croke Park …Is it that important that the vulnerable in society have cuts upon cuts heaped on them just to preserve the terms and conditions that some sections of the public sector continue to enjoy …I am not talking about the smokescreen been displayed by government in complaining about the pay of consultants…I do not have any issue with the pay of consultants, at least they save lives and provide a service unlike the middle ranking pen pushers in the health service…the mickey mouse managers who are in charge of ordering curtains or are responsible for having the overnight beds made for doctors on call.these are the people that provide no service to the health service yet are immune to change…I am tired of government ministers such as Howlin complain about the salaries of specialists while he authorized cap busting pay for special advisers or while he himself receives a pay that exceeds that of the president of america…So when will the infamous Troika hit politicians and insist on Croke Park been dismantled or will the weak of society continually be abused by the unions and government so as to protect the Croke Park agreement at all costs

Regarding Orlistat – minimally effective and on cessation, all weight returns. Multiple research trials have show that glucosamine does NOT work at all. Omega 3 Triglycerides have a minimal, if any, effect on post cardiac events.
So for these 3 medicines, well done to the HSE for stopping payment for them.
There are plenty more medications being paid by taxpayers of extremely dubious efficacy (how well they work)

this is just the start of an attack on those who are least able to defend themselves, more cuts are outlined for future budgets and also the odd one or two will be sneaked in like one was, the troika is calling for cuts to the household allowances,phone ,t.v licence, travel pass, electricity ,fuel allowance. medical cards will again come under scrutiny, the elderly, disables and sick of this country will suffer yet again so as ministers,bondholders and senior civil servants can keep their big salary’s and pensions. time for the people to stand up and be counted, out with the troika, burn the bondholders and get out of the euro, and if merkal and her cronies dont like it then tough luck!

If the government are no longer willing to cover the full cost of GF foods, they could at least still cover the amount which is over and above the cost of ordinary gluten-containing products. I am gluten intolerant, as are my husband an 3 children, and I have first hand experience of what eating gluten can do. Many families are struggling to feed their kids and this will be an extra stress. The suppliers are not to blame for the high costs. Gluten free food costs much more to produce as ingredients are not as mass-produced as wheat and it has to be produced in a dedicated environment to avoid cross-contamination with gluten.

My daughter is a coeliac not by choice and not a lifestyle change, this government are a disgrace they still paid out bond on the banks what a joke they don’t care who they hit well hit there wages there expenses vouched and unvouched they better not knock on my door for elections there not welcome

I suffer from Chronic Pancreatitis and I don’t expect an under resourced State to fund my diet and expensive but over the counter anti oxidants. This reminds me of the time when Dettol and disposable diapers were reimbursed. I have little difficulty with hardship cases but the idea of going to your local pharmacy for food with their high margins is just wrong. Period.

Whats next??? concentration camps, round up the weak,the old,infirm,physically and mentally handicapped,unemployed ahh yes our German masters have history when it comes to targeting the vulnerable in society…when are the Irish people going to call a halt to this destruction of our society by outside forces…no fear Kenny, Reilly, Howlin Gilmore etc facing any of the cuts been force on our society and all this before the budget and the €700million that will be cut from the hse budget next year…at least the bond holders got their piece of flesh today with the repayment of their €600m in gambled losses and next week another €1.1b in losses…As Inda says Paddy will pay his debts never mind the Irish lives that will be lost in the process

I do understand that coeliac disease is a very serious condition, but why not just avoid the gluten-containing foods instead of paying for expensive gluten-replaced alternatives? There is a huge number of naturally gluten free foods out there. If someone has a peanut allergy, do they get peanut-free snickers on prescription?

if everyone who posted here gets outside the dail tomorrow it might make a significant impact on the HSE budget slashing everything that makes sick, disabled and elderly lives bearable. PLEASE protest protest protest!

I am Coeliac and was told I would live longer on the diet because I would be obliged to eat more home cooked non-processed foods. Question: was that HSE coeliac tab pick-up for everyone or just for medical card holders or what?

Well, this is bullshit of the highest order. Have they honestly no idea how expensive gluten free stuff is?

I hope i dont sound too uncaring but why cant people with this disease just cut out wheat and barley from their diets ? Its healthier anyhow.. There are other options such as rice and noodles for carbs…. I think its mainly processed food which contains gluten right ? Isnt it better not to eat that stuff ?