Dr. Rónán Collins:

Yes. The national stroke programme gives a commitment to provide rehabilitation for all ages and phases of the stroke. I shall reiterate the point made by Dr. O'Shea. There is some concern about using terminology such as "step-down", "convalescence" and "transitional." Such terms can imply that fewer resources are required when that may not be the case. Instead, a person may require a different type of resource and extra manpower in other areas. Dr. O'Shea was correct to make that point.

In the Cork area, restoration to living is our second pillar of the stroke strategy. It is not just straightforward rehabilitation. We want to bring people back to full vocational life and being able to engage in the things that they did before suffering a stroke such as driving, pastimes and recreational activities. That must be our ambition. It is a challenge but we will work very closely with our colleagues in the national rehabilitation programme to deliver that vision.