Nessa Cosgrove (Labour)

There was no indication there that there is going to be any commitment to delivering MS services in the north west. I thank the Minister of State for outlining the amazing work MS Ireland and section 39 workers provide and I know that. Could the Minister of State bring it back to the Minister, and it would be really appreciated by the people in the north west, that this has been going on for decades, particularly when there is the highest instance in the north west of people with MS and we do not have the basic services that other counties do?

The Minister of State spoke about the role of disability reviews and that in 2018, the HSE disability capacity review stated that community workers were listed as the most used in multidisciplinary teams within disabilities. While these roles are available, people with disabilities can be enabled to access mainstream activities and services, slowing down or reducing the uptake on more traditional disability services. It is a cost-saving measure to introduce community workers and it avoids a duplication of work. Community workers do their job and people living with MS thereby get the supports they are entitled to because they are being signposted in the right direction. It cuts down and is a cost-saving measure in the long run.