George Lawlor (Wexford, Labour)

In a week when hundreds of millions of euro were gifted to burger barons and builders, although the Tánaiste may disagree with that characterisation, I will raise an example of the reality that many on the ground are encountering. I was contacted by the Furlong family in Duncormick in Wexford. I have their permission to raise this issue on behalf of their son, Josh, who is 23, has severe non-verbal autism and is doubly incontinent. The mattress he has been sleeping on for the last ten years needs replacing. It is a waterproof mattress used for people who are incontinent. The mattress was originally supplied by the HSE. The family have been trying to get it replaced since January 2024. Josh wakes several times a night because of the condition the mattress is in. When the sheet is changed, it becomes wet as well. This mattress was originally approved back in March in a conversation with the autism liaison nurse. Someone was even paid to travel from Belfast to Wexford to measure up for the mattress. When I raised this matter, the response I got stated that the assistant director of public health nursing presented the purchase of a mattress for Josh to the resource allocation group but the RAG declined to approve funding because no clinical need for a mattress was identified. This is absolutely appalling treatment of a family with what is essentially a child of 23 years of age who is non-verbal and incontinent. Please, we need intervention in cases like this.

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