Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I also thank the Ceann Comhairle for giving us the opportunity to raise this issue. Mary is an example of someone on this waiting list. She is 46 years of age with three young children. She suffers from leukemia and her medication has a detrimental impact on the blood circulation in her legs. She is about to undergo bypass surgery as a last resort to save her left leg. She now urgently requires the ArtAssist pump on her right leg but because it costs €1,100 for 90 days, which she cannot afford because she is a medical card patient, the local authority must rehouse her because she lives in a two storey, three bedroom house. The frustrating thing for Mary is that she lives in north Roscommon, about five miles from the Sligo county boundary, and if she lived on the other side of that boundary, she would not have any problem getting this. Not only would it save her leg, the local authority would not have to construct a purpose built house to cater for her and her young family.

It is frustrating that an anomaly exists within the system in Galway, Roscommon and Mayo that means there is no funding while in other parts of the country that is not the case. As Deputy Calleary pointed out, it is unclear who is responsible and who should pick up the bill.

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