Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North-West, Fianna Fail)
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83. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for plans and an indicative timeline of implementation for a community neuro-rehabilitation team for the treatment of neurological patients in north Dublin, as committed to in the programme for Government; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32453/25]

Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I recently met with the Neurological Alliance of Ireland who raised a number of questions with me. They were specifically interested in the programme for Government commitment, which seeks to put in place community neuro-rehabilitation teams. I was particularly concerned when they alerted me to the fact that north Dublin, the area that covers my constituency, does not currently have a community neuro-rehabilitation team. Will the Minister update the House on the matter?

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. The overarching aim of the neuro-rehabilitation strategy is the development of neuro-rehabilitation services to improve patient outcomes by providing safe, high-quality, person-centred neuro-rehabilitation at the lowest appropriate level of complexity. It straddles acute hospitals and primary care as well as specialist community-based disability services.

The past few years have seen consistent funding being provided to advance the roll-out of the neuro-rehabilitation strategy. The Department of Children, Disability and Equality as well as the Department of Health, aim to continue this important work to ensure there is a fully integrated service available to those people who need it. As part of the strategy, the HSE is in the process of expanding the number of community neuro-rehabilitation teams across the country. The current position is that four new teams have been recruited and will be operational this year.

A further two partial teams are in place that predate the strategy. There is currently no community neuro-rehabilitation team, CNRT, operational in HSE Carlow, Kilkenny, Tipperary South, Waterford-Wexford, HSE Midlands or HSE Dublin and North East. Moving forward with the neuro-rehabilitation strategy, the aim is to enhance the existing CNRTs, fund those areas that do not have a CNRT and create a large population-based CNRT within each regional health area following the implementation of the new regional health areas under Sláintecare. Additional funding will be a matter for the annual budgetary process.

As outlined in the 2025 national service plan, the HSE is committed to developing community neuro-rehabilitation teams in line with the implementation framework and enhancing capacity for its implementation nationally. A care pathway has to be integrated to make sure people are getting these services as close to home as possible. That is at the basis of the Deputy's question today.

Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I agree with the Minister of State that these services are incredibly important. The multidisciplinary nature of the teams provides intensive neuro-rehabilitation at critical times and they assist with acute hospital discharges. Studies have shown that, on average, they save up to three days per patient, but they are also a critical intervention. Any multidisciplinary approach to patients can improve patient outcomes.

I was pleased to see the additional four areas, particularly in south and west Dublin, being allocated. This is a need across the country. While I am a TD for my constituency, I recognise that this is a new area of care and one the Government wants to implement and it is being done on a phased basis. I would not be happy if, in the coming 12 months, after this year, no provision had been made for Dublin north and east. It is crucial we put that in place. I ask the Minister of State to do all in her power as part of the budgetary process to attract funding for it.

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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This is a new structure being rolled out. It has taken the team a little time to set up the structures. The funding was in place and they are now rolling out those teams across the country. We will complete the national roll-out of the HSE community neuro-rehabilitation teams. We will develop more regional inpatient rehabilitation beds as well, implement community-based, multidisciplinary rehabilitation services in every regional health area, and increase the number of neurology nurse specialists and consultant neurologists. I look forward to working with the Deputy and keeping him up to date on the roll-out.

Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I encourage the Minister of State to engage with the Neurological Alliance of Ireland. It is a strong organisation. I know the Minister of State has met its representatives. Tomorrow she will visit my constituency and a member organisation of the Neurological Alliance of Ireland, An Síol, which deals with longer term treatments. It is keen to get a permanent home. It has identified a site with Dublin City Council. In the HSE capital plan, money has been put in place to do the feasibility study for that. The director is a fantastic man. He is originally from Germany and he does not understand Irish bureaucracy. He wants it to happen now because of the patients. I look forward to engaging with the Minister of State on that issue too, which is part of the broader spectrum of support for people with acquired brain injuries, strokes, Parkinson's disease and so on.

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Many of us have met the Neurological Alliance of Ireland, as the Minister of State has. When its representatives met me, it was with a constituent who I had met many times previously about the fact there has not been any community neuro-rehabilitation team in what we term the north east. We have not had it in CHO 8 and in what will be the regional health authority of Dublin north-east. We need to make sure we put this in. It is an absolute necessity. At the moment, people are ending up in accident and emergency departments. They are going in to get imperfect services and so forth. On the timeline for delivery, it needs to happen as soon as possible.

I want to put something on the record. It was brought to my attention that there seems to be an issue for the likes of St. John of God and its approved housing body, which was previously able to purchase houses under the capital assistance scheme. Will the Minister of State bring it up with the Minister? I have already mentioned it myself. It was a means of getting disability housing that seems not to be in play at the moment. There seems to be an issue with the Department of public expenditure.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Time, Deputy.

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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This was the likes of St. John of God operating alongside county councils such as in Meath and Louth and people could be severely impacted.

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I thank both Deputies. I am looking forward to my visit to An Síol tomorrow morning and to seeing the Deputy there. I know they are doing fantastic work there on the ground. I am visiting these services throughout the country. When I am in these services, I meet people who have acquired brain injuries. I see the results of road traffic accidents and the importance of these facilities on the ground within communities. It is great to be in this position. I am honoured to be and to be able to fund such services that do fantastic work. I will take on board comments from Deputies.