Hannah Donnelly home care package
Imelda Munster pleads for Hannah Donnelly, an 18-year-old in hospital since 2017, to receive a discharge date and home care package. The Taoiseach expresses sympathy but says the Minister cannot direct the HSE on an individual case.
I want to raise the case of Hannah Donnelly from Drogheda again. She has been in hospital since March 2017. In March 2018, medical opinion stated that the best place for her was at home. For the past 19 months, Hannah Donnelly has lain on a hospital bed waiting for a home care support package. Hannah is 18 years of age. She was at home for a few hours last week and was heartbroken that she had to go back to hospital the next day. There is still no discharge date with regard to when Hannah can get her home care support package to enable her to go home to her family. She is desperate to be home with her family. She is 18 years of age and her family are desperate to have her home. There is a local campaign to get her home for Christmas. We want to have her home for Christmas.
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It is a specific question. Perhaps the relevant Minister might communicate with the Deputy.
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I would like the Taoiseach to look at the picture of Hannah I have to hand. She is 18 years of age. Can the Taoiseach tell me when she will get her discharge date and when will she get her home support package?
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I know it is not a question but it is also not custom to have an 18 year old child lying in a hospital bed for 19 months waiting on a home care package.
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It is not good enough. It is inhumane and cruel.
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When will Hannah's family get a home care package? When will she get her discharge date?
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Deputy, we cannot have specifics. I know it is very important. I fully appreciate that but if the Deputy gives the details to the relevant Minister, he or she will respond.
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The Government has to answer a question like that.
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It is a specific question. Nobody is offering and I cannot force any Minister to answer.
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That just shows the attitude of the Government-----
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I will endeavour to be helpful. Once again, I am very sorry to hear about Hannah's case. I hope it will be resolved in the near future. As Deputy Munster well knows, it is illegal for the Minister for Health to make any direction to the HSE to give any individual patient anything, be it a medical card-----
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It is the Government's policy that is denying Hannah a home care package.