Sinn Féin TD for Kerry, Pa Daly, has condemned a continuing delay in providing a hoist to a Killarney based family for their daughter, Alexis O’Mahony.

Daly said:

“Alexis suffers from a pyruvate dehydrogenase, PDH, deficiency and she has a brain injury. She has cerebral palsy, quadriplegia, visual impairment, a subluxation of her hip and is at high risk of aspiration. Alexis needs constant care from her family, including constant turning and daily washing to avoid bed sores.

“This takes a tremendous physical toll on her family. Her whole medical team has said that she needs a ceiling hoist. Her family applied for one in 2020. The government policy had changed and while the structural works needed for the hoist are covered by the local authority, the equipment for the ceiling track hoist is not covered.

“I raised this issue on a number of occasions in the Dáil, in an effort to break the logjam that had developed between various government departments.

“I was assured in May of this year that a ‘Letter of Comfort’ had been provided to Kerry County Council so the installation of a hoist can be included in the Housing Adaptation grant scheme, which is administered by the Council.

“The Council also said it would prepare the administration work in advance of the regulations being signed off and that it expected the relevant regulations to be changed ‘imminently’.

“That was seven weeks ago.

“This week, I have been informed by the council that the relevant regulations have not been introduced and that the council will not be processing the grant until the new regulations are in place. This represents yet another unacceptable delay.

“As I said before in the Dail, I do not care if it is the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, or the Department of Health, the matter has not been sorted out.

“Promises were made but not fulfilled. I spoke with Alexis's father Steven and I share his disappointment and frustration. Alexis is now 20 kg in weight and the situation is getting increasingly worse for the family. A bureaucratic hold up compromising the welfare of a vulnerable child-like Alexis is simply not good enough.”