Gabrielle McFadden (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I would like to raise the issue of funding for the various community healthcare organisations, CHOs. I would like us to ask the Minister for Health to come before the House to have a debate on this. I myself live in CHO 8, which includes Laois, Offaly, Longford, Westmeath, Louth and Meath. Recently I have constantly been told there is not enough funding for CHO 8 and that it has less funding than other CHOs. I would like to know how this funding is determined and worked out. I acknowledge there is no additional money for disability services. I know of a case of a young man with a disability who is in an acute bed in Tullamore hospital.They say that this is costing approximately €1,000 per day. I know there is a service elsewhere available for that chap for about €110,000 per year but the funding is not there. There is something fundamentally wrong if we can pay €1,000 per day on one side but cannot pay €110,000 per year on the other side. How is this all determined? It is appropriate that we ask the Minister for Health to come to the House to debate the issue with, explain it to us and hear from the different CHOs about how it is affecting our constituents.