There should be a centre of excellence to treat women who suffer from the gynaecological disease endometriosis, according to a charity representing women with the condition.
It has also called for more positive education and awareness of the condition.
Women with endometriosis have symptoms that can include years of crippling pain, fertility related difficulties, bowel problems and nausea.
Kathleen King, Chairperson of the Endometriosis Association of Ireland, said it takes an average of nine years for Irish women to be diagnosed with the condition.
She was speaking at a People Before Profit press conference ahead of a presentation to politicians in Leinster House.
Ms King said up to 155,000 women in Ireland live with endometriosis, but that in 30 years of living with it herself, she has seen little change in the treatment.
Aimee Brown described how she has lived with endometriosis for 16 years. She said she waited a number of years to see doctors in Ireland, was in chronic pain, had two surgeries; one of which she said was so detrimental she had to leave her job.
Ms Brown said she lost her identity and it affected her relationships: "Every aspect of my life has been affected by this horrendous disease".
She said she often thought about suicide but, "thankfully, I didn't go through with it". She travelled to Romania to see a specialist for expert surgery, which excises the affected area. This required her to borrow €8,500.
She is now just over eight weeks post-op and says she is now feeling great: "I can't believe I am able to sit here and talk without feeling nauseous".
Ms Brown said the public need be more aware: "it could be your sister, your daughter or your niece that have to face it in the future".
Sarah Moloney, 35, described how her symptoms started when she was 15, that she was put on the pill for a number of years but it did not suit her so she came off it. At 23 she developed gut issues, was bleeding very heavily on her period and her ovulation was painful every month.
Ms Moloney said every medical investigation she had was for bowel issues, where nothing was found and by 30 she was collapsing with her periods.
A new GP, who she said was "a bit ahead of his time" referred her to a gynaecologist - her first referral to one.
Ablation surgery did not work and she, like Ms Brown, borrowed €8,500 to go to a specialist in the UK who carried out another operation.
Ms Moloney has been left with chronic pain because she had two surgeries quite close to one another which she has to take strong pain killers for.
Jeanne Sutton was diagnosed in 2011 while living in Canada.
She said there are much better systems in healthcare globally to diagnose and treat endometriosis - including in New Zealand where there is an education programme in place to teach girls about the signs and symptoms of endometriosis that also involves talks with doctors and how Australia has adopted the menstrual education programme with funding for a national action plan for endometriosis.
She said this is a perfect opportunity for the Government here to "get healthcare right for women".
Gino Kenny, People Before Profit TD, who presented this information to TDs and Senators, said he wants to raise awareness to make this a political issue and hopes to ask a question in the Dáil with the Minister for Health tomorrow.
"I would think that very few men have heard of this condition," he said.
He said women who suffer from endometriosis are "living in silence and the medical community have to take this more serious".
Ms King said she sees no appetite in Ireland for consultants to take this on as a specialty, where she has seen gynaecologists do it in other countries.
"Most gynaecologists in Ireland are delivering babies at three in the morning, heading into theatre at nine o'clock, then allocating 15 minutes slots for very quick ablation surgeries."
She described ablation surgeries for endometriosis as burning off the top of the tissue - for some women she said it is sufficient but that the evidence is now showing that by "cutting it out meticulously" gives better pain relief and better response in terms of fertility improvement.
She said "that is where we would be aiming at in terms of skills in Ireland".
The HSE said there are different types of surgery for endometriosis and the time it takes to diagnose the disease varies by patient due to its varying and ambiguous symptomology.
In a statement, the body said the key aim of treatment is to relieve symptoms so it does not interfere with day-to-day life for patients.
The statement went on to say all obstetrician gynaecologists are trained to treat endometriosis.
