Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Independent)
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I missed a lot of the contributions but I came in while Mr. Grogan was talking about his son Shane. I thank him for what I heard. It was quite shocking to hear about the experience he outlined and how much it has impacted him and, in particular, his wife. Another measure we do not have is the personal cost to the families when the services are not there, and they are very much not there. I refer to waiting five years to get an assessment for an issue with a tooth.

It was pointed out that a number of laws are being breached here, and there is a list of them. Maybe the committee could get a copy of the list as that would be very interesting to have it to hand. I thank the witness for referring to that. It is about the personal cost.

In CHO 3, the community neuro-rehabilitative team has a number of vacancies. I think only half the vacancies have been filled so far. How does that impact that team in being able to deliver for the patients they are about to take on? Are people being left behind in some respects as a result of this?

In model 3 hospitals, patients should have access to a neurologist. We do not have a model 3 hospital in County Clare, which means we must travel to University Hospital Limerick, UHL, or to Galway, although I am unsure if there is an issue with taking patients from our region. People spend two to three hours travelling one way and then back again. We know that the cost of fuel is going to increase for those making those journeys. There are a number of costs being incurred here. Ms Cotter referred to research MS Ireland has done on costs in response to Deputy Tully. I did not catch all of it but perhaps she could mention the document and I could look it up.

Regarding the number of inpatient beds, if the witnesses have any idea how many we have in our region, that would be great. I know that when it comes to inpatient beds for those with eating disorders, it is a massive issue nationally. I want to get a picture for my region.

I thank the witnesses for their personal stories and I apologise for missing what they said about the great work they are doing. I picked up little bits from what they said.