Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I very much welcome the news that additional consultant neurologists have been appointed this year, but that is only part of the picture. There are many other parts of the strategy on which we need to focus. Only a very small proportion of people can access the National Rehabilitation Hospital. I think the figure is about one half because of where they are located. Those living in regional areas need to be able to access specialist rehabilitation services in regional hospitals. There is also a need for community-based teams to provide rehabilitation services for people close to their own homes. Aids and appliances will be needed to enable response times to be much quicker. People with a neurological condition require counselling, support and information. This is part of the bigger picture for those who urgently need a response from us to resolve the difficulties they are experiencing.

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