Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)

It is a great pity that the Minister is going back to the tried and trusted formula of referring to plans, reports and strategies. We are aware of the shortfall in terms of the need for neurologists because almost two years ago Comhairle na nOspidéal produced a report which stated that the number of neurologists had to be trebled to meet the need. Will the Minister stick to the question? What progress are we making in reaching that target? We are talking about a grossly overloaded service that cannot cope and is often based in very restricted accommodation. For a long time St. James's Hospital, which is a major hospital, had only one neurologist. The trebling of the number of neurologists is the recommendation that the Minister should deal with. How far have we got in reaching that target and when will it be reached?

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