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Limerick people will take part this weekend in Ireland’s first multi-city protest to demand urgent attention and action to reform eating disorder services across the country.
The protests will highlight the critical need for reform of eating disorder services and call on the government to urgently address the multiple obstacles to receiving treatment in Ireland.
Protests will also take place in Cork and Dublin with the Limerick one planned for outside the main gates of University Hospital Limerick between 11am and 1pm tomorrow (Saturday, March 2, 2024).
The protests are driven by mother Amy Hanley, whose teenage daughter was diagnosed with anorexia in 2022 and she says services need to be better linked up.
“There’s a huge disconnect between outpatient care and inpatient care, transitions back home and transitions to adult services, so it’s a huge problem at every level of service, to be honest.
“I did the protest last November and I thought, this is the perfect time to do a nationwide protest, because it’s a nationwide problem, it’s not just a Dublin problem – it’s not just my family who has experienced this.”
The “Mind Everybody” group says services are incredibly inadequate, and wants the Government to remove barriers to access for proper treatment.
19-year-old Luna Fleming from Cork City is in recovery from an eating disorder, and says they have no choice but to bring their campaign to the streets.
She adds people suffering from eating disorders who look for help come up against a lack of ED services, long waiting times, and no specialised care for adults.
“In most counties, there are no specific services at all publicly. I know in Cork, there is a child and adolescent service, but not an adult service at the moment, and countrywide, there are only three inpatient beds for eating disorders and they are in Dublin.”
