Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirligh. I wish to join the Chairman in welcoming the Devlin family and Dr. O'Doherty here today. I am a parent. I am also a brother. I recognise in the witnesses here the fact that Conor comes from a wonderful family. There is no question as to what made Conor the young man he is, in being able to cope and to come here today. It is such a brave thing to do. Listening to his mother, and his brother, I can see that all of this is so much a part of his recovery. I salute the family for it. It has been a wonderful experience meeting with them today.

Perhaps Dr. O'Doherty could help us further on the areas that the family is highlighting. The system is like so many other areas. This is a particular cohort of people, a number of people. We speak here on the last day of February of every year about rare diseases. There are so many disease issues around the country that are not provided for because there is such a small number of people directly affected. Perhaps there is a co-relationship here. What numbers does Dr. O' Doherty think would be presenting from a paediatric circumstance in terms of ABI? I understand and appreciate well the distinction between the needs of children and younger people as against the adult experience of ABI. Given what Catriona, Conor and Paul have highlighted here this morning, is there better provision for the adult who presents with ABI? Is what Catriona, Conor and Paul are highlighting here today something that also has an application to some extent within the adult cohort of people directly affected by ABI?

In Catriona's contribution, she highlights the fact that all of the specialties that might be required might not be available locally. Can we identify if these are available at least on a State-wide basis and are accessible? Accessibility would be the critical thing even if it cannot be available in our immediate backyard. Can Dr. O'Doherty give us an expanded picture in terms of her knowledge of the area from a practitioner's point of view?

It is clear from the strength of the contributions made and the spirit in which they are made that they are not about making any change in Conor's circumstances today. This is about helping those who may tragically find themselves in the same experience. The motivation behind it is absolutely heroic. I ask the Chair if the committee could undertake to forward the combined contributions of our guests this morning to the Minister and to the Director General of the HSE and ask them for their respective responses on what has been highlighted not only to us as a committee and that it would go forward to both the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive? I would propose that we would do that.

I would be anxious to hear what Dr. O'Doherty would say in respect of the areas that I have highlighted because that will inform us in terms of our respective individual lobbying over the period ahead. I wish to say, in conclusion, that the family make such a compelling case that none of us can afford to ignore it. While we are sitting here today, for any of us we could be sitting where Conor is tomorrow.