David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 83: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if her Department has received a report (details supplied); if so, when this report was received; the action she has taken as a result; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24070/07]

Jimmy Devins (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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This report was commissioned by the former Midland Health Board and was completed during the period of transition to the new Health Service Executive structure. A multidisciplinary project team, including voluntary and statutory groups and clients and carers of people with an acquired brain injury, was established to examine the community-based health service needs of people with this condition.

Following receipt of the findings of the project team, a development officer was appointed to carry out a more detailed needs assessment and to formulate a development plan. The development officer submitted her report in April 2005. The HSE has since contracted the Peter Bradley Foundation to provide a service for people with acquired brain injury in the midland region and has set up a forum for information sharing with the chairperson of BRÍ, the Acquired Brain Injury Advocacy Association. The service includes access to a neurophysiologist, an occupational therapist and rehabilitative assistants. This is in addition to the usual services available to people with disabilities.

Discussions on the creation of a national strategy for the development of neurological rehabilitation services are taking place between my Department and the HSE. The report in question will contribute to this process.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for his response. Could the Minister confirm the number of people who sustain head injuries annually throughout Ireland? Is it true that it is between 10,000 and 11,000? How many consultants in rehabilitation medicine are there in Ireland at present? Does he agree that by UK standards we should have 17 consultants, while based on the numbers in the Netherlands we should have 74? How many people are waiting to gain admission to the National Rehabilitation Hospital? Is it true that at the start of 2007 there were 120 people waiting for admission? Does the Minister accept that people were waiting between three and six months, and up to 18 months in some cases, for admission to the high-dependency unit? What is his opinion on this, given the importance of early admission to hospital? Can the Minister also tell us how many acute stroke units there are, and their locations?

When will we see action as a result of the report mentioned in the question? When will a national strategic policy on acquired brain injury be developed?

Jimmy Devins (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy asked a number of questions. I will do my best to answer as many of them as possible and come back to him on the others. It is estimated that approximately 10,000 people are admitted to hospital with acquired brain injury every year. Obviously, the causes can vary from road traffic accidents, physical assaults, brain tumours or infections of the brain matter, such as meningitis.

At the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dún Laoghaire there are currently 120 beds. Plans are well afoot to build a new hospital on the same site which will have 240 beds. The Department is looking at the overall requirement for rehabilitation beds nationwide.

Jimmy Devins (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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I would agree with Deputy Reilly that there is a long waiting list and that is the reason we are proceeding to build a new hospital. Would the Deputy repeat the second part of his question?

Jimmy Devins (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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My understanding is that the home care packages will be re-introduced to the National Rehabilitation Hospital over the next week to free up beds. As the Deputy stated correctly, if the beds are occupied, people cannot be allocated to them. It is important that those who are ready to be discharged from the National Rehabilitation Hospital are discharged as quickly as possible.

Jimmy Devins (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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I include packages for nursing homes as well.

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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To what is Deputy Reilly referring?

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Although the normal practice is for a Deputy to ask the Minister a question, the Minister is asking Deputy Reilly a question.

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Could Deputy Reilly give me the details?

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Could Deputy Reilly identify the detail?

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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I also wanted to ask about the home care packages because the Minister, Deputy Harney, in replying to one of my priority questions, indicated that there would be a restoration of home care packages. In the case of people currently in the National Rehabilitation Hospital who are ready to go home, will facilities such as home care packages be put in place to ensure that such people can move out of beds in order to allow other patients in?

Headway Ireland, which deals with patients with acquired brain injury, has identified a number of areas of support needed for those living with acquired brain injury who may be outside rehabilitation and who are back in the community. What measures will be put in place to address those needs? Has the Department ongoing contact with Headway Ireland to ensure that the needs of those people are addressed in their communities?

Jimmy Devins (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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I met with Headway Ireland and Rehab over the past couple of weeks and shortly I will meet with the Peter Bradley Foundation. The service it provides is of a high standard and is badly needed.

My understanding with the HSE is that over the next couple of days those home care packages and nursing home packages will be made available to start allowing people to leave the National Rehabilitation Hospital if they are fit to do so, and to allow for the admission of patients who badly need the service.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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This needs to be done urgently because there are people for whom every day makes a difference in terms of their access to the National Rehabilitation Hospital.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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I do not intend to repeat everything that has been said. However, the wife of a person from County Meath who needs to be admitted to the National Rehabilitation Hospital was on "Liveline" on RTE radio yesterday, and today there was another case in County Cavan, in the constituency I share with the Minister of State's colleague, Deputy Brendan Smith, in which a person was seeking admission to the hospital. Serious cases are presenting every day of every week. How can the Minister of State explain the withholding of home care packages, not putting in place essential stepdown facilities necessary to free up badly-needed beds, and the fact that people in many hospitals around this country are waiting to be transferred?

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Would the Minister of State agree the facilities in this area in Ireland compared with those in continental Europe are utterly inadequate? Would he agree, for instance, with the standards the Peter Bradley Foundation cites in its recent report, namely, that we should have 74 consultants in this area but we have only three? Would he agree that the issue is getting people with acquired brain injury or stroke quickly into rehabilitation so they can receive the proper treatment on time and so that most of them can go home to live a normal life? Does he agree that is not happening? There are thousands of people in Ireland whom we are failing on this issue. We are way behind the rest of Europe. Could the Minister of State give us some indication or commitment that action will be taken in this important area?

Jimmy Devins (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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I would agree with Deputy Stanton that we are behind the rest of Europe. I agree we need more consultants. As soon as the consultant organisations have accepted the new contract, the recruitment of those consultants will start.

On Deputy Ó Caoláin's question, the budget for the National Rehabilitation Hospital is approximately €25 million. I understand that there was an overspend of approximately €850,000, which resulted in a blockage. We are now taking steps to unblock the blockage. I agree that we should not prevent patients who need to get into that facility from being admitted. From that point of view——

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister of State should not allow it to happen. This morning there was a Supplementary Estimate for the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. We are dealing with people's lives. If there is additional money required there should be no penalty for overspend. It is necessary.