Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue and join her in recognising the extraordinary work done by Acquired Brain Injury Ireland. In our budget of last year for this year, as she will be aware, for the first time we funded a national network of neurorehabilitation nurses. I have met, for example, stroke clinicians who made the point that while our hospital-based stroke services have gone from strength to strength in terms of rapid response, with very quick and advanced technologies, when patients leave hospital the rehab for stroke and other acquired brain injuries is not where it needs to be. This year, therefore, as the Deputy will be aware, we are deploying our first-ever network of neurorehabilitation nurses, and in the budget this year for next year, I am delighted to say the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, is funding an additional two teams, one of which relates to community healthcare organisation, CHO, 5.

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