Independent TD for Laois-Offaly, Carol Nolan, has expressed her frustration and disappointment at the decision by Government to exclude midland counties from the delivery of new Community Neuro-Rehabilitation Teams.
Areas within the HSE’s CHO Area 8 which will be ineligible are Laois/Offaly, Longford/Westmeath and Louth/Meath.
Deputy Nolan was speaking after Minister of State for Disability, Anne Rabbitte announced the establishment of two additional Community Neuro-Rehabilitation Teams for CHO areas 2 and 4.
A total of €900,000 has been set aside for development of the two teams in 2023, while the full year cost in 2024 is €1.7 million.
The full teams are expected to be in place by the end of this year.
The Independent TD had raised the urgent need for the delivery of such services in February with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar during Leaders Questions in the Dáil.
“While this is great news for the people in CHO Areas 2 and 4, it is also a significant blow to the expectations of campaigners within our own counties and for the families and patients affected by neurological conditions including acquired brain injury, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and rare neurological conditions such as motor neurone disease and Huntington’s disease,” said Deputy Nolan.
“It is also a breach of the recommendations contained within the Implementation Framework for the National Neuro-rehabilitation Strategy (2019-2021) and indeed the current Programme for Government.
“I know that that there are an estimated 24,000 people on a waiting list for a neurology outpatient appointment and the number of people on the neurology outpatient waiting list is continuing to rise with the number waiting more than 18 months increasing by 30% in the last year.
“Many of those come through my offices seeking assistance with access to services.
“This will be a cruel blow to all of those people who have already endured so much in terms of chronic service deficits and long journeys to access care.
“Indeed, I have been engaging closely with the Neurological Alliance of Ireland on this matter.
“The NAI are aware that there are a number of families and neurology patients in Laois and Offaly, some of whom are travelling to Dublin three times a week because there is no local services available.
“I will continue to push for the delivery of the community neuro-rehabilitation team for CHO 8 as recommended in the Implementation Framework for the National Neuro-rehabilitation Strategy.
“The question also arises, of course, as to where the government party TD’s from our own constituency were when these discussions were going on?” Deputy Nolan concluded.
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