Róisín Garvey (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Inniu tá mé ag iarraidh labhairt faoi ábhar sláinte. I want to speak today about health and how prevention is better than cure. Yesterday was world Multiple Sclerosis Day. We had an amazing group of people into the House, including doctors and people who live with MS. One of the big takeaways for me was the need for neurophysiotherapists, not just for people with MS but also for people with Parkinson's, stroke victims and those who are neurodivergent. As Senator O'Loughlin said, 14% of people in Ireland are neurodivergent. We need such neurophysiotherapists. I raised this issue with the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, who has said that he is looking at getting one for every community health organisation, CHO, in Ireland. This is a very important issue. I worked with older people. I started an older people's group in my village that meets monthly. They are doing chair yoga now but such people must keep moving because if they do not use it, they lose it. This is literally what happens with ageing, as well as with these other physical disabilities that people get, such as MS, stroke and acquired brain injury. Neurophysiotherapists are experts in this field. Physiotherapists are one thing, but neurophysiotherapists play a whole different role because they understand challenges that are coming from the brain. This is why MS Ireland are calling for it. If we get neurophysiotherapists in every CHO they will benefit different people with different challenges such as stroke, Parkinson's and acquired been brain injury.

It is important to remind people that physical mobility is huge. If we get these physiotherapists and people do what they are told by the physiotherapist - I have not always been good myself - we find that balance is everything and it actually reduces hospital waiting lists. It also reduces hugely the risks of falling, which is a huge setback for any older person, regardless of whether he or she has a neurotypical disease. When a person falls, it can often lead to early entry into a home for the elderly.

This matter is so important that I thought it was worth raising it today. I ask for the support of the House to ensure we support the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, in his mission to bring neurophysiotherapists to every CHO in Ireland. Prevention is always better than cure. So many people are waiting on trolleys, so many people are awaiting operations and need surgery, and the nursing homes are a huge issue as well. We must look at why so many people need to be in nursing homes and why so many people need to go to accident and emergency departments. This is a huge part of prevention. If we have good physiotherapy and if a person has good balance, it prevents falls, it reduces hospital admissions and it reduces the early need for nursing homes. The House should support the aim to get neurophysiotherapists into every CHO in Ireland. I ask for the support of all Senators here, and that we would keep reminding the Minister of his mission to do this.