Brain injury centre promised 5 years ago ‘came to nothing’

A REHABILITATION centre for people with brain injuries promised for the south of the country five years ago, has “come to nothing” without any explanation of why it did not materialise, according to Labour TD Kathleen Lynch.

Ms Lynch raised the issue in the Dáil following a report in the Irish Examiner on Monday highlighting the two-year wait for vital rehabilitation services that need to be provided within 24 hours of a brain injury.

There are just 110 beds at the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dublin, with the capacity to treat just one in five patients with brain injuries. Patients in the rest of the country have to travel to Dublin as there are no regional services.