Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am pleased my constituency colleagues, Deputies Harkin and Martin Kenny, are in the Chamber because I know they agree very much with what I am calling for today, which is the immediate recruitment of an additional four clinical nurse specialists in neurology. As the Minister of State is aware, the Neurological Alliance of Ireland has highlighted that we are 100 neurological nurses short of the HSE's own model of care, not to mention national best practice. This is costing the HSE a great deal of money in the context of additional and unnecessary admissions, adjustments to care and medication. There are only 42 whole-time equivalent specialist neurology nurses in the country, but we need in the region of 142.

In the north west of the country we have Sligo University Hospital in our constituency and Letterkenny University Hospital. They offer services in the north west to a population of approximately 500,000 people. We have the highest incidence in the country per capita of multiple sclerosis. There are 2,000 people on the waiting list in the region and approximately 24,000 nationally. As it stands, we have two neurologists and we should have seven. We have no neurophysiologists and we should have two. We have two multiple sclerosis nurses when we should have three to cover over 1,000 people dealing with multiple sclerosis. We should have one movement disorder nurse and although we have one, it is shared with four geriatricians, so, in effect, it is 20% of one. We have two epilepsy nurses when we should have four. We should have three headache nurses but we have none. We should have one rare disease nurse per 500,000 of population but we have none. There are also issues around administrative support.

The reality is if we recruited these nurse specialists in neurology, we could have nurse-led clinics, rapid access clinics, telephone advisory consultations and outreach. This would significantly improve the quality of care at lower cost, mainly by preventing unnecessary admissions to advice, information, support and counselling with the appropriate safeguards and adjustments in medication.

In preparing for this year's budget, the clinical programme asked for approval for 16 out of the shortfall of 100 posts. There is a very strong rumour it will not even get approval for one post. This is in a year where money was no object and no expense was spared. Approximately €20 billion is being made available to the HSE and the Secretary General gave himself an extra €81,000 in pay, such is the importance of the distribution of that money to the HSE. Approximately €460,000 is being paid to the head of the HSE. I am sure all of them are doing a wonderful job, but the reality on the ground is that where it counts in terms of clinical care for the patients, which is what all the money is for, what is the problem in recruiting and paying four additional neurology specialist nurses for our area? As it happens, it is the area represented by three of the four Deputies in the Chamber now.

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