Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am sharing time with Senator Buttimer. We will take three minutes each. I thank my Independent colleagues for tabling this motion. I remind Senator Boyhan that I have, on a number of occasions, highlighted the lack of neurological nurses in the mid-west and nationally on the Order of Business and through Commencement matters. I very much support the Patients Deserve Better campaign. I acknowledge Alison Cotter of MS Ireland who is in the Chamber and who worked for me previously. I know the great work MS Ireland does and how its work could be greatly enhanced if there were more neurological nurses.

Some of us were at the briefing last Wednesday. It was a very powerful briefing in which a young lady from Galway in her early 20s very powerfully presented on the difference availability of and access to neurological nurses would make to the lives of people of her age. There was also an older, although not elderly, gentleman with Parkinson's disease who had a very similar story to tell. What was very powerful were the parallels between these two people's experience. Despite their different ages and coming from different generations, their stories were the same. They spoke about living independently and being able to lead full, equal, accessible and fulfilled lives. That is what step-down neurological nurses in the community who visit people in their homes, engage with them and take phone calls mean for people. That is the difference. We talk about primary care in the community, supporting people to live in their homes and how much more cost-effective that is than having them in nursing homes, care facilities and so on. That is what we need to achieve. The vast majority of people can live in their homes if the proper supports are in place.

I ran a campaign in this House for a number of years to have eye clinic liaison officers appointed to the hospital groups so that, when people are diagnosed with sight loss, there would be a person available to them who had all of the knowledge and contacts with step-down facilities, including everything from peer counselling to guide dogs and mobility training. They would know the NGOs and who was good at what. This was run on a pilot basis in Temple Street hospital. Referrals went up 66% and the net result was that people felt they were able to adjust to their new circumstances more quickly and that they could contribute more to society. In some cases, people who did not have access to this programme never felt they could contribute and fell into the cracks. As a result of this campaign, largely run by me in this House and through the Joint Committee on Health, there will now be eye clinic liaison officers in every hospital group in the country. This means that, as our population becomes elderly and their vision naturally starts to become impaired, there will be somebody who knows how to navigate and help them. I see this campaign for neurological nurses as being something similar, although probably in a more advanced clinical setting. It would give people with Parkinson's disease, epilepsy or multiple sclerosis somebody to talk to and a link or contact, somebody with knowledge and experience who can be a support. In some cases, just knowing that such a person is there is liberating.

From my personal experience of the Minister of State, who has been my colleague for nearly 15 years, I know how committed he is to equality. I know that, when he goes into the Department of Health and takes part in the process of negotiating the budget, preparing the Estimates and considering the various demands that are on the table at budget time, he will fight tooth and nail for an increase. Nobody expects 100 extra nurses to be provided in budget 2023 but there should be a legitimate expectation that 30 or 35 nurses would be provided, or at least that this number of positions would be funded. The challenge is then hiring neurological nurses because it is a very distinct and specialised sphere. It will not be easy. If the Department could even give an indication that this is going to happen, the wheels could be put in motion to start the recruitment process, which will be difficult in itself.

I commend my colleagues. They are using Seanad time in a very clear and compassionate way that will achieve a result. Well done. I am very happy to support the motion.