Maria Byrne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach. The Minister of State is very welcome. I rise today to ask about the recruitment of a specialist MS nurse for the mid-west region. In a report that was commissioned, it was recommended that three to four nurses were necessary for the region but at the moment we have none and one would be a bonus. When I last raised the issue, I was told, as were the people involved in the MS society, that someone would be in place in the second quarter of 2019, but as of yet there has been no advertisement for the position, and there seems to be no movement in filling the position. A recruitment ban was announced recently by the Minister, and people are very afraid that this position will not be filled. Perhaps the Minister of State will give an update on the situation. People who suffer from MS have to go to Cork and different places around the country to access the services of a specialised nurse, so if there were one in the region, it would be of great benefit to them.