Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Crowe. Given that he is asking about such a specific service I do not have a note with me on it. I am very happy to revert to the Deputy with a detailed note. It sounds like the type of proposal that would work its way through consideration in the Estimates process coming up this year. It might be a good time to be speaking about it. If Deputy Crowe has something I will be very happy to meet him and discuss it with him. The Deputy was one of many who quite rightly advocated for neurorehabilitation nurses. This is different to the specialist physiotherapy service he is speaking about now, which I will be very happy to take a look at. The neurorehabilitation service is new. We are rolling it out throughout the country. It has a modest beginning with approximately 28 whole-time equivalents. Those involved say it is very welcome but they need more. They are right but we have to find them, hire them and train them up.

When it comes to the physiotherapy proposal, it may be something to be done through a service level agreement with MS Ireland. Perhaps it is something we could work in as part of enhanced community care. As the Deputy is aware, we have 91 of the 96 community healthcare networks up and running throughout the country, many in his constituency and many in these new fantastic primary care services. I can certainly undertake to ask for a clinical view from the Department and the HSE on the business case for the specialist physiotherapists. Another question would be where should they sit. Perhaps they should sit with one of the voluntary organisations, as the Deputy said. Perhaps it is a skill that should be brought into the primary care centres as part of a multidisciplinary approach.