Vol. 445 No. 6
424 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Health if he will give details of his directions to health boards in relation to providing or assisting with the provision of motorised wheelchairs; and if he will provide a special grant for a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9 who cannot be satisfied by the Eastern Health Board. [392/94]
Health boards receive an annual allocation from my Department to provide health care services in their functional area. The decision to allocate resources within the overall budget for the health board is the responsibility of the chief executive officer. Aids and appliances, including motorised wheelchairs, are provided according to need taking into account the overall budgetary situation within the health board to clients who have been assessed by local health staff as requiring such appliances.
The provision of a motorised wheelchair in any individual case is a matter for the health board concerned. Accordingly, the Deputy's question has been referred to the chief executive officer, Eastern Health Board, with a request that he examine the matter and reply directly to the Deputy as a matter of urgency.
