Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The HSE contract for services for medical equipment, which includes wheelchairs, is about to end in September this year. I believe the HSE is currently undertaking a review of the existing service, so I ask that the Government ensures that the HSE engages with wheelchair users and disabled persons organisations, which include wheelchair users among their members. They should engage on their experience of the company because the average wait for a new wheelchair can be up to eight months. If people do not have a wheelchair, it means they are basically prisoners in their own home.

I also raise the cost of other mobility aids such as prosthetics and silicone socks, which have risen dramatically. A lot of this is due to the fact that they are sourced from Britain and Brexit has had an impact. Could these vital products be sourced, preferably in Ireland or at least in the EU, so that we could see a reduction in the costs?

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