Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 17 May 2023

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health

Access to Community Neurological Rehabilitation Teams: Discussion

Ms Magdalen Rogers:

It is important. I thank Deputy Shortall for that comment and for reminding us about the neurorehabilitation strategy. The strategy dates back to 2011. We waited in the wilderness for an implementation plan, which eventually emerged in 2019 and covered the period up to 2021. As the Deputy Will be aware from other testimonies we have given to this committee, we saw very little progress during that three-year period. A national steering group was established within the HSE in respect of the implementation of the neurorehabilitation strategy, but it is playing significant catch-up because of the lack of progress during the three years to which I refer when very little action was taken. As I testified before this committee last year, the steering group only met a couple of times during that three-year period.