Ms Mary Casserly:

With regard to access to consultants in regional areas, I was speaking yesterday to a young mum whose child was sick and she had her appointment in Dublin, 80 km away. The child got sick and they had to turn around and go back, which means she has to wait another nine months for an appointment. Had the neurologist been closer to her, she would have been able to travel herself but, with Parkinson's, people’s energy levels for the day are a bit like money, and they have to spend it wisely. She would not have enough energy to drive to Dublin, have the appointment and get back on her own. That is why we need more neurologists in the regions.

On personal assistants, there are definitely cases where people with Parkinson's just do not have the energy to get up, get dressed and drive to appointments. If they live in a rural area, they would have to drive for half an hour, 40 minutes or an hour to an appointment, do their therapy, or whatever it is, and then drive back home, which is just not possible. A personal assistant would be of great benefit to somebody with advanced Parkinson's.