Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The programme for Government promises the delivery of enhanced primary care centres to every community and an increase in the number of therapists in primary care centres throughout the State. Almost two and a half years later and despite that commitment, Drogheda, which is the largest town in Ireland, has only one full-time and one part-time occupational therapist to cater for the entire town of Drogheda and the surrounding areas of south Louth. There are 124 people on the waiting list at the moment and the estimated waiting time is 44 weeks. An old age pensioner with Parkinson's disease has been told that he will have to wait 44 weeks to be assessed by an occupational therapist. When is the Minister for Health or the Taoiseach going to take HSE senior management to task over this? This is a serious failure. How can the Taoiseach justify this substandard delivery of health care in his so-called Ireland of equals, or rather of opportunity.

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