Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Again this morning we have the privilege of listening to the contributions of a group of people who have made a presentation on the impact on their personal lives, in particular Ms Tufts. I had to go outside for a while, but I have read about her journey to freedom, Her journey has given her the ability to perform in her daily life, which is wonderful. It involved a great deal of travelling, which was most inappropriate. That much jumped out at me last night.

I thank Mr. Quigley and Ms Moore for joining us and taking time out of their busy schedules to be here in Dublin. It is a real privilege to have them here and hear that we have such wonderful people, North and South, who have such a great interest in the issue.

In the past year a friend of mine was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and I know that it has affected her greatly. It has also affected her family. Like Senator Jillian van Turnhout, I was rather surprised to hear of such a thing; I had never come across it before. Since I am not in the medical profession, some of these things slip away. When we are worrying about housing people and everything else, it is lost in the mix.

I thank Dr. Walsh for his presentation, particularly the diagrams, as sometimes a picture paints 1,000 words. That is certainly the case in this instance and it shows what can happen when people have this treatment.

Some of these questions may have been asked already, but how many patients travel from Ireland, if any? What is the cost and is it covered by the HSE? I think that question may have been asked by someone else. The deputation stated it was not a cure and although it may not be, it helps people in their daily lives. What are the risks involved in the surgery and can it be used on children? Who chooses the patients to undergo the treatment?