Treatment abroad appeal
Deputy Sorca Clarke raised the rejected treatment abroad application of her constituent David Duignan, who needs urgent surgery in Vienna. The Taoiseach said individual cases are difficult to judge in the House, but asked for the details and said he would pursue it if a consultant had recommended treatment.
My constituent, David Duignan, is sitting in his home in Moate today when he should be under the specialist care of the Medical University of Vienna hospital. Mr. Duignan suffered horrific injuries following a road crash three years ago and he urgently needs muscle transfer surgery. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, his treatment abroad scheme application has been rejected. Last week, he received a letter stating that the appeals officer is not in a position to provide a decision on when Mr. Duignan's appeal will be granted or when information will be provided and also cannot advise regarding the date that a response will even issue. Mr. Duignan's consultant has been explicitly clear that this treatment is not available here. However, because Mr. Duignan may, at some potential point in the future, have prosthetics surgery, this seems to be impacting the decision to direct him towards an alternative that is not suitable to his needs as the situation stands today. This man needs this operation urgently. His consultant has had previous applications for the same type of surgery approved-----
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-----yet Mr. Duignan is sitting at home in Moate.
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It is difficult to comment on each individual case that comes up on the floor of the House, particularly regarding a treatment abroad application.
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Yes, just let me finish. I take it from what the Deputy is saying that the consultant has unequivocally recommended treatment.