Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 30 Sep 2003

Vol. 571 No. 1

Written Answers. - Hospital Services.

Paul McGrath

Ceist:

963 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there are only 13 publicly appointed consultant neurologists, eight of whom work in the Dublin region, working in the public health system and that these numbers are significantly below those needed to serve the needs of both the Dublin population and the Irish population as a whole, that this shortfall is causing long waiting lists, in many cases over 12 months, that the need for extra neurologists was recommended by a previous Comhairle review of 1991 and a recent Comhairle review group, and that funding has still not been provided for this urgent need; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20637/03]

Liz McManus

Ceist:

969 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Health and Children if his Department will implement the Comhairle na nOspidéal review of neurology in full; if so, the time frame of same; if he will honour his commitment to the Neurological Alliance of Ireland to nominate a task group through his Department to establish the costs and source funding for the infrastructure that will be required to properly develop the service; when the task force will be nominated; its terms of reference; if he will act on Comhairle's recommendation of the establishment of a multi-disciplinary national review of neuro-rehabilitation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20721/03]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 963 and 969 together.

Arising from a number of meetings with various interest groups, I requested Comhairle na nOspidéal to conduct a review of neurological services and related issues. Comhairle established a committee to, inter alia, examine existing arrangements for the provision of consultant level neurology and neurophysiology services nationally and to make recommendations on the future organisation and development of those services. The Comhairle report has recently been published and recommends significant enhancement of neurology and neurophysiology services, including increases in consultant manpower. The report also recognises that there are aspects of a number of other specialties and services such as rehabilitation medicine, geriatric medicine and old age psychiatry which are related to and overlap with neurology services.

Comhairle has recommended that a national multi-disciplinary review of rehabilitation services be undertaken to further inform the policy framework in relation to the development of neurology services. Consistent with this recommendation, and in line with commitments in the national health strategy, a national action plan for rehabilitation services is currently being prepared by my Department. The action plan will set out a programme to meet existing shortfalls in services and to integrate specialised facilities with locally based follow-up services. The rehabilitation action plan, together with the Comhairle report and the work undertaken by the Neurological Alliance of Ireland through its own publications, will offer a more comprehensive policy framework for the future development of neurology and neurophysiology services in this country.

I will be meeting with representatives of the Neurological Alliance on 8 October next to discuss the Comhairle report and to seek its input to the preparation of the rehabilitation action plan. In addition, my Department will continue to work closely with the alliance and the Irish Consultant Neurologists Association, in the form of a joint working group, in relation to the future development of services in this area. The case for additional investment in neurology and neurophysiology will be advanced having regard to the evolving policy framework in this area.