A total of 24 dentists have withdrawn from the medical card scheme across Roscommon and Galway over the last five years leaving many patients unable to access dental treatment, Denis Naughten TD has revealed. “In this time just over half of the dentists providing a service to County Roscommon patients have left the scheme, while 40% of dentists have left …
Taoiseach backs proposal to address vacancies in children’s disability services – Naughten
Proposals from Denis Naughten TD that would see innovative recruitment of therapists to work evenings and weekends in children’s disability services has received the support of the Taoiseach. The Dáil heard this week from Denis Naughten TD that the HSE must introduce flexible working contracts to attract therapists to the almost 800 vacancies that currently exist across children’s disability services. …
90 seconds of additional home help support per day causing crisis – Naughten
Local TD Denis Naughten told the Dáil this week that the reason nearly 6,500 people are waiting for home help hours is because just an additional 37 minutes have been allocated to each primary care network. “This means that, in reality, there is about 90 seconds of additional home help per day available to meet the needs of older people …
Further blow to disabled drivers – Naughten
Disabled drivers and passengers are facing a further setback after it was revealed to Denis Naughten TD that the National Rehabilitation Hospital is to withdraw from its role in the Primary Medical Certificate appeals process. This compounds problems already experienced for those trying to obtain the certificate following the blanket resignation of the appeals board, which effectively meant the vast …
Decade long transport lockdown for people with a disability – Naughten
Local TD Denis Naughten will tell the Dáil next week that people with a disability have effectively been coping with a decade long lockdown because of the failure to put transport supports in place to allow them to access work and other community activities. “Ten years ago the Government suspended the Mobility Allowance and Motorised Transport Grant for new applicants …
Naughten welcomes grant of €50,000 for empty homes
Local TD Denis Naughten has welcomed the announcement that families can now apply for a grant of €50,000 to refurbish a home that has been vacant for two years, with an additional top-up grant available if the property is derelict. The details of the revised grant scheme will be published by Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien TD after this week’s Cabinet …
Rent a room relief extended to those on welfare – Naughten
Denis Naughten TD has welcomed the extension of the “rent a room” relief to people in receipt of Social Welfare who wish to rent out a spare room in their home. For the next two years a person renting a room in their home to a person who is not an employee, or an immediate family member, will have up …
Roscommon’s empty surgical ward must be included in hospital bed expansion – Naughten
Local TD Denis Naughten has called on the Minister for Health to ensure a surgery ward at Roscommon University Hospital which remains empty, is included in Government plans for 1,500 new hospital beds across the country. “The HSE has issued a tender for 1,500 new hospital beds at 15 sites across the country and it is imperative that the …
St. Teresa’s receives 3 new classrooms, as new school to be fast-tracked – Naughten
Local TD Denis Naughten has received confirmation from the Minister for Education that St. Teresa’s special school in Ballinasloe is about to receive three new temporary classrooms while the new school building project is to be fast-tracked. “Over the Easter break, plans are underway to provide three new modular general classrooms to cater for the current needs of St. Teresa’s …
Portiuncula must be included in new hospital bed expansion – Naughten
Local TD Denis Naughten has called on the Minister for Health to ensure a second 50 bed ward block at Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe, is included in Government plans for 1,500 new hospital beds across the country. “The HSE has issued a tender for 1,500 new hospital beds at 15 sites across the country and it is imperative that Portiuncula, which …