Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for the clarification. However, as I said, there is a watering down of what is available in the South/South West Hospital Group area and I ask that that be revisited. That is the issue of funding for two free bras per annum. My understanding is that number per annum is not even sufficient but it is now watered down to funding for one free bra per annum.

I am concerned about the procedure now being talked about, where people have to fill out the application beforehand. It has to be processed before people can access the care they require. I am concerned about that because I have seen this happen in the HSE previously. It is not a criticism; rather it is the volume of work involved. I have seen it with respect to applications under the fair deal scheme where we are waiting for quite a long time before applications are fully assessed. I am concerned. The old procedure, as I understand it, was they went to the provider, they filled out the forms there, the prostheses or bras were provided there and the funding was then followed through by the provider.

I very much welcome what is happening throughout the country. There was not a comprehensive support scheme in many parts of the countryand I welcome this being introduced. It is extremely important that we give support to women who have gone through that type of treatment and who want to get on with their lives. It is important we give the maximum support. I ask that the issue be looked at as well as the issue of how the applications will be processed. I am not clear on the way we are talking about doing it. I am concerned about the delays that may occur. If this is the scheme we are going to go through with, in six months’ time, we should review it to see how it is working. I ask that we revisit the supports annually rather than watering down what is in the South/South West Hospital Group.

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