Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)

This matter relates to a constituent of mine who had not been able to secure a nursing home place at Hamilton Park Nursing Home, Balrothery, because of the cutbacks which the Government introduced a few months ago with regard to this year's HSE budget. This constituent was very badly affected by the arbitrary cutbacks in health funding. The individual in question suffered a severe stroke and had been recuperating at the Dún Laoghaire National Rehabilitation Hospital, following six months in Beaumont Hospital. After several months of effort by his family to ensure his transfer to a more appropriate treatment centre, they were told that an application to move to Hamilton Park, Balrothery, would have to be submitted again.

I was informed of the matter on 3 October and immediately tried to raise it in this House, on the Order of Business, with the Taoiseach and the Minister for Health and Children and also with Professor Drumm of the HSE. I pay tribute to the family concerned who unfortunately had to use every available media opportunity to highlight the issue. I pay tribute, in particular, to Mr. Joe Duffy who, on his "Liveline" programme, pursued this matter very vigorously and, in this case, successfully.

The family was informed on 17 September that the patient would be transferred to Hamilton Park Nursing Home in Balrothery. However, that date came and went without a decision on the transfer and the patient's rehabilitation treatment was reduced to below three hours per week. Early in October the HSE informed the family that funding for all nursing homes had been withdrawn. The family are grateful to Deputy Cyprian Brady, who took an interest in the matter.

Yesterday the family informed me that my constituent will be moving to Hamilton Park today. Nevertheless, it is appropriate to raise the issue because many other families have had similar problems regarding Hamilton Park, other nursing homes and the National Rehabilitation Hospital. Another constituent in north county Dublin suffered a cerebral abscess and was admitted to Beaumont Hospital last February. This patient was also due to move to Hamilton Park last week but her partner contacted me a few days ago and outlined the great difficulties he and his family are enduring, attempting to care for this young mother who urgently needs a therapeutic programme at the Balrothery facility.

The failure to ensure that the HSE had adequate funding to develop Hamilton Park for the two patients to whom I refer has led to other blockages in the health system. As the Minister will be aware from media reports, at least six patients urgently waiting to be admitted to the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dún Laoghaire could not be facilitated because home care and nursing home packages were not being made available at locations like Hamilton Park.

My party has studied the pre-budget statement on health and believes that a 3% to 7% increase in expenditure next year may not be sufficient to allow home care and nursing home packages to be provided for patients such as those to whom I have referred. There are many other problems in the health system. I know of HSE staff due to return from career breaks who cannot resume work because of the current crisis. I am anxious to know if the Minister for Finance will introduce a package in December. He must use whatever budgetary system is necessary to ensure that the kinds of facilities required are provided to our constituents.

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