I thank the Minister of State for coming to the Chamber to take this issue. I raise this Commencement matter because of a young woman in Laois who contacted me recently. Like many others, she never imagined she would find herself fighting not only a serious health condition, but also a healthcare system that seems unable to provide the care she urgently needs. Following spinal surgery, this young lady developed a neurological movement disorder that now affects her ability to stand and walk. She relies on a walking aid every day and faces the possibility of needing a wheelchair in the future. Instead of getting answers and support, she has been told she could be waiting two to four years just to see a specialist.

Let us just sit with that. Imagine you are told your mobility is deteriorating, you are struggling with everyday tasks that most of us take for granted and you are then told that help may not arrive for years. Unfortunately, her story is not unique. Across Ireland, approximately 860,000 people are living with neurological conditions. More than 50,000 people receive a neurological diagnosis every year and yet approximately 24,000 people remain on waiting lists for neurological appointments this year.

What struck me most when speaking to this young woman was the sense of hopelessness that she felt. Every door she tried to open seemed to close - referral after referral, waiting list after waiting list. She is now considering travelling abroad because she simply cannot wait for answers but even this process is not straightforward as she needs a referral from a consultant in order to be able to travel abroad. When she is told that she needs to wait for two to four years, it is mind-boggling and does not make sense. No patient should be forced to leave Ireland to access timely diagnoses and treatment. People should not feel abandoned by a healthcare system at a time in their lives when they are most vulnerable.

Ireland continues to face significant challenges in neurology services, with long waiting lists, workforce shortages and unequal access to specialist care. Early diagnosis and intervention are crucial for many neurological conditions, yet too many patients are waiting. It has left them with untold suffering. I, therefore, ask the Minister of State what specific measures are being taken to reduce neurological waiting lists, increase specialist capacity and ensure that patients can access the care that they need now, not in four years. The woman who contacted me is not asking for special treatment. She is asking for what every one of us would want for ourselves or for a loved one, which is a timely appointment to get a diagnosis, access to specialist care and a chance to live her life with dignity and independence, not fear of deterioration.

Her story is just one story, but it represents thousands more. We need action on neurology waiting lists urgently. We need more specialists and we need to ensure that people living with neurological conditions are not left waiting years and years for care they desperately need now.

I thank the Senator for raising this important issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. I understand from looking at the waiting lists. The Senator might send me the information and I will see what I can do, if that is okay. I again thank the Senator for raising the matter.

In Europe, neurological disorders are the third leading cause of death and disability. The numbers are expected to rise in line with our ageing population. In Ireland, approximately one in six people has a neurological condition. The Department of Health is committed to working with all relevant stakeholders, including the Neurological Alliance of Ireland, the HSE and the patients' representatives, to strengthen key services and supports. That is really important, going forward.

We have made significant investments as well as committing to further measures in the programme for Government. The Minister for Health allocated €4.3 million in 2025 to support the implementation of the neurology model of care and the hub-and-spokes model for neurology services. I am sure the Senator is aware of that. This funding is enabling the recruitment of five consultant neurologists and 25 specialist nursing posts. Those posts are specific to this area. The funding is also enabling the development of the deep brain stimulation, DBS, service at the Mater hospital in Dublin, which was allocated 1.5 posts. The DBS is an effective treatment for Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders. As of April 2026, approximately 78% of the posts have been recruited. We need to do more. The Minister is committed.

This service development is to progress the implementation of the HSE model of care for neurology. The focus of the neurology initiative is aimed at achieving improved access to appropriate neurology services, and the Senator spoke about the lady she knows in that regard; improved safety and quality in the delivery of patient-centred neurological care; and improved value for both patient and health services across neurology services. More broadly, the national clinical programme for neurology is actively working on a hub-and-spoke model to guide equitable neurology services around the country.

Therefore, the Minister is working on this. The services will align with the new health regions and tackle the gaps in neurology services nationally. We know the gaps exist and this is something we have to work on. The model will cater for people with all neurological conditions and deliver on the Sláintecare principle of delivering care closest to patients' homes. The model will include one model 4 hospital hub per health region, catering for the most complex neurological care. The sites will support model 3 hospital spoke sites, which will provide services for people with less complex needs. Many hospitals already have well-developed services. Funding received in 2025 is enabling the delivery of phase 1 of the hub-and-spokes model. It is expected that this proposed hub-and-spokes model will enable a reduction in waiting lists and timely access to diagnosis and treatment and, thus, improve quality of life and prognosis for people with neurological symptoms. I thank the Senator.

I welcome to the Seanad H.E. Mr. Ferit Hoxha, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania; H E. Dr. Uran Ferizi, the ambassador of Albania to Ireland, and Ambassador Ciara O'Floinn, the Irish ambassador to Greece. They are all guests of Deputy Barry Ward, former Member of the Seanad and current Chair of the European affairs committee. They are very welcome. We hope they enjoy their visit.

I thank the Minister of State. I appreciate her taking this on behalf of the Minister for Health. I welcome the funding but have a couple of points to make. In the case in question, the person has actually emailed the Minister twice and is getting no response. It is a young girl in her early 20s. I definitely will send over the details to the Minister of State. The woman has really been failed by being told she will have to wait two to four years before she even gets an appointment. This is a young girl who cannot work, go to college or do anything else. She is actually not able to walk. This is completely unacceptable.

I understand €4.3 million was allocated but figures like that are big figures that are not making a difference on the ground right now to a young girl facing time in a wheelchair if she does not get an appointment. We really need to fast-track the process where there are particular cases. I welcome the opportunity to forward the details of this case privately.

Again, I thank the Senator. She can be sure I will be speaking to the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. She is very committed to funding the services and working in this regard.

It is acknowledged that patients are still waiting too long for hospital appointments and treatments. I am conscious of the burden this places on patients and their families. In January this year, the Minister for Health published the 2026 waiting time action plan as part of the Government's ongoing commitment to improving access to hospital care and reducing waiting times for patients.

Since the commencement of the multi-annual action plan approach in September 2021, significant progress has been made in reducing the length of time patients are waiting, and this is really important for us. These improvements have been achieved against the backdrop of increased demand for planned care services. Addressing this increased demand while also working to sustainably reduce waiting times will require the health service to deliver more services. We have to consider productivity, efficiency, ongoing reform and enabling supports through targeted additional capacity.

The waiting time action plan sets out six targets that will be achieved through the delivery of 36 actions under the scheme of reforming planned care, enabling planned care and capacity optimisation. With the 2026 plan, we will continue to build upon the progress delivered to date under the multi-annual action plan approach, moving towards the ultimate vision of a public healthcare service in which everyone has timely access to high-quality scheduled care where they need it. The progress is seeing the implementation of the plan together with the roll-out of the model of care. Therefore, there is work being done but the Senator should absolutely send me on the details. Again, I thank her for highlighting this important issue.