MRI waits and hot school meals
Deputy Tully raised a long wait for an MRI needed to confirm cerebral palsy and access supports, while Deputy McAuliffe called for full hot school meals coverage in special schools. The Tánaiste said he would check the MRI case with the Health Minister and noted major health investment, while the special schools issue remained for Social Protection to advance.
I have been contacted by the parents of a 22-year-old girl who has suspected cerebral palsy but she needs the diagnosis confirmed through an MRI scan in order to access supports and services. She was referred last April to Temple Street for an MRI scan and she got an appointment for this coming January. That is a nine to ten-month waiting list. I presume every other child on the list is waiting that length of time as well. What is the issue? Is it that there are insufficient scanners or insufficient radiologists? Is this going to be exacerbated further by the HSE recruitment freeze, which is a result of the underinvestment in health by the Government? Children should not have to wait this long for a scan to access a diagnosis to get services.
Comment on this
As our party's spokesperson on social protection, I am proud of the roll-out of the hot school meals programme and in particular the roll-out to DEIS areas. As the Tánaiste will know, until September, special schools were not included in the hot school meals programme. While expressions of interest were extended in September for 111 special schools, we have yet to see a full roll-out. I ask the Tánaiste to ensure the Minister for Social Protection does everything we can in 2024 to ensure all specials schools have access to the hot school meals programme.
Comment on this
On Deputy Tully's question, I do not have the details of the specific case she has raised. There has been an enormous investment in health, whatever way you look at it, over the last four years, exponentially increasing year on year. There are issues with the recruitment of radiologists more generally. I will try to check out the situation with the Minister for Health in respect of Temple Street and the MRI scans there and what the particular issue is. Sometimes there can be differentiation between emergency needs and elective MRIs. The Minister had given a specific allocation for diagnostics, which resulted in a higher throughput of diagnostics in particular. If the Deputy can give the details to the Minister, we will take it from there.
Deputy McAuliffe made a very good point. Some special schools may have their own arrangements already in respect of food but we will check with the Minister for Social Protection on the roll-out to special schools across the country.