George Lawlor: Wexford woman left without wheelchair after HSE failure
George Lawlor raises the case of Simona Demeter, a 20-year-old Wexford woman who has been reliant on a wheelchair since 2019 but has outgrown it. He details a series of administrative failures in the HSE that left her without a safe, usable wheelchair and effectively confined to her family home.
George Lawlor describes how assessments were completed last October and the family were told a new wheelchair would arrive in weeks but it never did. In January a wheel broke and a technician declared the wheelchair unsafe, yet the promised replacement had not been delivered.
Lawlor outlines how the original occupational therapist went on extended leave and did not pass on documentation, causing the file to disappear from the system. Subsequent contact with the Community Disability Network Team (CDNT) revealed another therapist was also on leave, and the family were offered only a temporary repair to an unsafe chair.
The deputy cites the intervention of Councillor Vicky Barron in securing contact from the CDNT, and he presses the Minister and the HSE to explain the breakdown in process. Lawlor calls the situation an example of a dysfunctional system that is failing patients and families.
The Minister responds on record that she is sorry to hear of the case and is willing to engage directly to obtain details if the constituent agrees, and to take the matter up with the HSE. Lawlor presents the incident as evidence of wider administrative gaps with real personal consequences for people dependent on essential equipment.
Case summary:
George Lawlor describes how assessments were completed last October and the family were told a new wheelchair would arrive in weeks but it never did. In January a wheel broke and a technician declared the wheelchair unsafe, yet the promised replacement had not been delivered.
System failures and delays:
Lawlor outlines how the original occupational therapist went on extended leave and did not pass on documentation, causing the file to disappear from the system. Subsequent contact with the Community Disability Network Team (CDNT) revealed another therapist was also on leave, and the family were offered only a temporary repair to an unsafe chair.
Local interventions and responsibilities:
The deputy cites the intervention of Councillor Vicky Barron in securing contact from the CDNT, and he presses the Minister and the HSE to explain the breakdown in process. Lawlor calls the situation an example of a dysfunctional system that is failing patients and families.
Ministerial response and next steps:
The Minister responds on record that she is sorry to hear of the case and is willing to engage directly to obtain details if the constituent agrees, and to take the matter up with the HSE. Lawlor presents the incident as evidence of wider administrative gaps with real personal consequences for people dependent on essential equipment.
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Transcript
Thank you Ciann Comhairle. Minister, I want to talk to you today about Simona Demeter, a young 20-year-old Wexford woman who in 2019 was diagnosed with an extremely rare illness and since that time she has relied on a wheelchair but has outgrown it, the current one being too small. Last October an OT called, did all the assessments and told she'd have the wheelchair, a new wheelchair, in a few weeks but never received it. In January a wheel broke and she was told by the technician who came to fix it that it was unsafe and she shouldn't use it anymore. The family then discovered the reason for the delay was the OT went on extended leave and never passed on the documentation and the file effectively disappeared from the system. Eventually after the intervention of my colleague Councillor Vicky Barron in Wexford, the family were contacted by the CDNT team and told another therapist is on leave and nothing could be done for weeks. However they did have a solution that they would fix the wheel of the old unsuitable unsafe wheelchair. This young woman has now been confined to her family's sitting room for the past two months. This is just one example of a dysfunctional, crazy system that serves nobody Minister. Thank you very much Deputy for raising this issue. I'm really sorry to hear of this and will be absolutely happy to engage with you to see if I can get details if your constituent is willing to share the details of this situation and I'll take it up directly with the HSEB.