The Dáil has heard harrowing details of the daily life of a young woman who is suffering from endometriosis.
Nikita Clarke has been waiting for more than three years for specialised surgery and will now have to travel to Romania to get this care.
The Sinn Féin Leader read a letter from Ms Clarke into the Dáil record in which she wrote - "I dreamed of being a doctor, a lawyer, a nurse, of having a family of my own. Now, I am a young woman alive but not living."
The 18-year-old is in constant pain, and Mary Lou McDonald said that she is one of many women who have to travel abroad for surgery because the treatment is not available here.
Endometriosis is a chronic disease in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus. This causes inflammation and scar tissue to form in the pelvic region and sometimes in other parts of the body.
It is associated with intense, life-altering pain during periods, sexual intercourse, bowel movements and or urination. Sufferers can experience pelvic pain, abdominal bloating, nausea, fatigue, and in some cases, depression, anxiety and infertility.
According to the World Health Organization, roughly 10% of reproductive-age women and girls suffer with the condition.
There is no known way to prevent the disease, but symptoms can be treated with medicine and sometimes surgery.
The Taoiseach conceded that further investment is needed to treat this condition, which affects up to one in 10 women.
He said there are 350 severe cases each year, which can be treated at the endometriosis specialist hubs in Tallaght and Cork.
These hubs are aiming to clear a backlog of cases and a new health framework for the treatment of the condition is also being drawn up.
Micheál Martin asked Ms McDonald if she would pass on Ms Clarke's letter to the Government.
