Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise one simple issue. I refer to the National Rehabilitation Hospital on Rochestown Avenue in Dún Laoghaire. I have continually raised this issue in Seanad Éireann over the past year without success, so today I propose an amendment to the Order of Business. It is the first time I have ever done so but it is now required. I call on the Minister for Health to come to Seanad Éireann today to explain to the Seanad why the National Rehabilitation Hospital has not been provided with the necessary staffing, resources and special supports that are required to enable it to provide a safe and appropriate level of rehabilitation care to patients up to its full bed capacity and to commit immediately to reopening 12 beds that were closed in January 2017.

I have examined the record of various comments of the Minister and officials. We were told the matter would be looked into, but nothing has happened. I spoke to a National Rehabilitation Hospital official yesterday who confirmed that since January, those 12 beds have been closed and have not been reopened. Yesterday, 209 people were waiting to get access to the hospital.Many of these patients are occupying acute beds in hospitals because they cannot access the rehabilitation services they require. Patients with spinal and brain injuries are in limbo as a result of the Minister's failure to immediately re-open the 12 beds closed in January. The Minister appears to have done nothing about this issue and must, at a minimum, come to the House to explain what he is doing. We hear platitudes and words about health. Do people learn anything from all the scrutiny, publicity, television programmes and documentaries? We have not been able to get the Minister to re-open 12 beds the hospital wants to open.

A new facility to be built on the site of the national rehabilitation hospital has been repeatedly delayed. If 12 beds cannot be opened in the existing facility, I do not know what is being done to build a new hospital on the site. The position is unacceptable. I have taken advice on this issue. There are patients with spinal and brain injuries waiting in acute hospital beds trying unsuccessfully to access the specialist service of the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dún Laoghaire. I am a reasonable person. Will the Leader guarantee that the Minister for Health will appear in the House urgently? Unfortunately, the special committee will discuss Brexit again tomorrow and the Seanad will not meet again until next Tuesday afternoon. This is a serious issue and morale among professional staff in the hospital is low. They do an extraordinary job in extraordinary circumstances and they are committed to doing something about this issue. There are 209 people on the waiting list at the National Rehabilitation Hospital. Will the Minister come to the House to provide an assurance that the 12 beds will immediately re-open?