Mr. George Kennedy:

I thank Mr. Landy. I will provide members with a brief history of our organisation, which has been in existence since 1968 and is not just a recent innovation. We have branches throughout the country and service 26,000 square miles of land area with seven family support workers. We have a brief that covers matters such as education, medical issues and schools. We advise our members on a constant basis and probably have 4,000 primary members who have either or both of these conditions. Not alone do we work with our members directly but we also work with their siblings, the direct family and perhaps even grandmothers and grandfathers and our total staff comprises 17 people. I reiterate that Ireland has the highest rate of spina bifida and hydrocephalus in the world.

The organisation has four main requirements. First, we seek a consultant paediatric urologist and in a few minutes, Ms Edel Browne will go through the history of the broken promises in respect of this particular service, which is an absolute necessity for our young children. Our second priority is to seek the possible appointment of a research nurse to work in Temple Street hospital. In addition, we seek the provision of a defined clinic for adults who have the condition. Finally, two areas of the country badly need family support. For instance, we have no family support in place in counties Galway, Sligo or Donegal. In these three areas, there are approximately 200 primary people who have the condition but who do not have our support. At present, we have a family support worker in place on a temporary basis in the Cork-Kerry region. However, members should be advised there is a possibility that this service will be withdrawn on 31 December. I note this service is at present operating at a cost to the State of less than €50,000. To explain a little more clearly our main requirement, namely, the consultant paediatric urologist, I invite Ms Edel Browne to go through the needs and the situation that pertain at present.