Ms Alison Cotter:

I would be happy to comment. From an MS Ireland perspective, we have crystal-clear asks in terms of the budget and the spend for next year. As I said, we have seen significant progress in 2024 with regard to our MS respite centre, where €40 million was invested, but we need to see that on a sustained basis. Our ask for budget 2025 was €627,000 per annum on a sustainable basis to keep that respite centre open, keep people living well at home and prevent crises in families. Families living with MS tell us that if it was not for our respite centre, their loved one would have had to enter a nursing home, which is not where the family want them to be or where the person wants to be. The critical nature of these services cannot be overstated. Our other ask for budget 2025 was around the physiotherapy programme and the €880,000 investment that we referenced earlier, which could save the State up to €19 million a year by delaying and reducing the disability caused by MS.

I know my other colleagues in the Neurological Alliance of Ireland, including An Saol and other member organisations, will speak to their own projects, which are of phenomenal value. I know there are also asks from other NAI organisations dealing with Parkinson's and muscular dystrophy, such as ABI and Headway. I do not want to understate the value that these services are providing on the ground to people with a range of neurological conditions. I am representing MS Ireland today and An Saol is also present, but there are 30 member organisations behind us that all have key asks. We cannot understate the value of those services for people living with the conditions on the ground.