Dessie Ellis (Dublin North-West, Sinn Fein)

It is clear that the site is identified and that money, €1.3 million, is supposed to be allocated. However, there is real urgency here. People with severe acquired brain injuries are often left behind and end up in nursing homes with little or no supports or even therapy resulting in unimaginable misery, loneliness and despair. An Saol offers them and their families hope and a way forward. I visited An Saol and saw for myself the work it is doing. This is really new and fantastic work, which is not being done in this country. It is the only one of its kind here and there are only a few in Europe. This would be a massive asset to the people of Ireland. It would be in two phases. The first would be building the unit with all the proper equipment. It is highly technical equipment that gives people a chance, a bit of life and something to look forward to. The second phase would be to provide accommodation so that families can travel. People with this disability have severe needs and it is very difficult to get them accommodation, and, therefore, the second phase is to house them plus the person in question. It is a really fantastic project that should be advanced. There is an urgency around doing this. It has a waiting list and it is being underfunded. That needs to be looked at. I urge the Minister to push this and I urge the HSE to deliver on this and make the case to the Government for the capital funding required.

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