5 Samh 2014, 16:17
The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children will focus on services for adolescents who suffer acquired brain injuries and deep brain stimulation treatment benefits at its meeting tomorrow, Thursday, 6th November 2014.
The schedule for the meeting tomorrow is:
Session A: 9.30 am
Services for adolescents who suffer acquired brain injuries [Conor Devlin, Campaign to improve services for teenagers who suffer acquired brain injury]; and
Session B: 11.30 am.
Deep brain stimulation treatment benefits [Gavin Quigley, Consultant Neurosurgeon, Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast; Nicola Moore, Country Director, Northern Ireland Parkinson's UK; Dr Richard Walsh, Tallaght Hospital; Pat O'Rourke, Chairman, Parkinson's Association of Ireland; and Breda Tufts]
Committee Chairman, Jerry Buttimer TD said: “Acquired Brain Injury is any sudden damage received to the brain during a person’s lifetime and not as a result of birth trauma. An acquired brain injury is a life altering condition and can impact memory, speech, mobility, concentration, judgement and can result in personality change. Tomorrow we will hear from Conor Devlin, his brother and his mother on how Conor’s experience of brain injury has affected their family, while the Committee will have an opportunity to consider services for adolescents who suffer acquired brain injuries.
“Following this meeting, we will discuss the benefits of deep brain stimulation treatments. I would like to thank Deputy Caoimhin Ó Caoimhláin's contribution in helping to arrange this meeting where we will hear about the differences that deep brain stimulation can make for people suffering from Parkinson’s disease and how it can improve their lives.”
Deputy Ó Caoláin, who was the proposer of the Committee's address on the advantages of Deep Brain Stimulation availability on the island of Ireland, has urged all political opinion to look favourably on the proposal to site the procedure and support services at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast.
“Access to DBS anywhere on the island of Ireland would be both a positive and a significant development, not least for Parkinson's sufferers and their families,” he said.
This meeting will start in Committee Room 2, Leinster House at 9.30am tomorrow, Thursday, 6th November 2014.
Committee proceedings can be followed live here.
Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the move, through the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.
Media Enquiries to:
Ciaran Brennan,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
Committee Membership:
Deputies: Jerry Buttimer (Chair), Catherine Byrne, Ciara Conway (Vice-Chair), Regina Doherty, Robert Dowds, Peter M Fitzpatrick, Seamus Healy, Billy Kelleher, Eamonn Maloney, Clare Daly, Sandra McLellan, Dan Neville, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin and Robert Troy
Senators: Colm Burke, John Crown, John Gilroy, Imelda Henry, Marc Mac Sharry and Jillian Van Turnhout