Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Some of the questions I intended asking have been asked. I thank the witnesses for their comprehensive presentation. If one were to pick out one area that would have an immediate effect in terms of assisting someone who had a similar experience as they have had if it were prioritised, what would it be? As we heard, acquired brain injury arises not only as a result of road traffic accidents but also from brain tumours. This is important because people who are diagnosed with a brain tumour are extremely frightened and need to find information.

We learned that there are only six inpatient beds for people with an acquired brain injury. Does Dr. O'Doherty regard this number as adequate and, if not, what would be an appropriate number of inpatient beds? Given the delay in accessing services, I ask Dr. O'Doherty to outline her views on the number of beds that should be provided. If one were to increase the number of beds, would it be difficult to find staff with the expertise required to deal with such patients?