Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 December 2025
24. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when funding will be allocated for the establishment of a community neurorehabilitation team in the north-west, in line with the Programme for Government commitment to complete the nationwide rollout of such teams; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72805/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe overarching aim of the National Neuro-Rehabilitation Strategy is the development of Neuro-Rehabilitation services to improve outcomes for people by providing safe, high quality, person-centred Neuro-Rehabilitation at the lowest appropriate level of complexity.
Services must be integrated across the care pathway and provided as close to home as possible.
These services are currently being configured into population based Managed Clinical Rehabilitation Networks (MCRNs). The development of networks including Community Neuro-Rehabilitation Teams (CNRTs) nationally will facilitate earlier access to specialist Neuro-Rehabilitation services, as close to home as possible.
This will improve outcomes for people, reducing the support they need as they transition back to their communities and have an overall systemic impact releasing bed days back in to the system and facilitate individuals in the community avoiding admission to hospitals to access rehabilitation.
The Rehabilitation Networks have been planned in full alignment with the Health Regions, to have 6 networks nationally. Each network will have its own larger population based Community Neuro-Rehabilitation Team (CNRT) with bases located throughout the region to manage geographical spread.
The funding allocated in Budget 2026 will provide for the expansion of Community Neuro-Rehabilitation Teams, with details to be confirmed in the forthcoming HSE National Service Plan for 2026 but it is expected that the focus will be on areas that don't currently have a community team in place.
Moving forward with the strategy the plan will be to enhance the existing community teams to full capacity as per the Disability Action Plan and to create a large population-based Community Neuro-Rehabilitation Team within each region.
