Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish to discuss a case with which the Minister of State, Deputy White, might be familiar, that of Mrs. Eimear Lynch-Rowe who is based in Gorey, County Wexford. Eimear suffers from a very aggressive and rapid form of motor neurone disease, MND. Her symptoms first became apparent in January 2013, and she received her diagnosis last October. Between January last year and now she has completely lost the use of her feet, legs and lower back. Her arms are now weakening and her ability to speak and swallow have severely diminished. She wrote to me a couple of weeks ago, telling me:

To assist with my breathing I am now on non-invasive ventilation at night. The amount of time I require to be on this machine will increase in the near future. The progress of my disease means that when the MND reaches my chest, my ability to self-respirate will deteriorate and ultimately fail. This is the stage at which I can be kept alive using invasive ventilation. All of this will, and can happen, despite my mental faculties and all of my senses being in 100% working order.

I have some questions on which I hope the Minister of State can shed light. First, how much would it cost the HSE to provide invasive ventilation for someone with motor neurone disease living at home? What Eimear is really looking for is a detailed breakdown of the costs involved in invasive ventilation. She said:

The only figure - plucked out of the air - that I have ever heard is €300,000 per year. From our research, we cannot get anywhere beyond a cost that is a mere fraction of this figure, for care that is tailored to me, in my individual circumstance. I need someone to sit down with me and go through how much a package of home care, unique to me and my personal situation, will cost.

I understand there are currently two people in Ireland with motor neurone disease who are living at home on invasive ventilation. Could the Minister of State tell me how that is funded? Is he willing to meet with Eimear to discuss her situation? It appears that money is the main issue. I accept the Government does not have an unlimited supply of money but this woman’s life is at stake. I look forward to the Minister of State’s response.

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