Early Onset Parkinson’s Disease Ireland would like to extend our sincerest thanks to Ms. Catherine Moran and Minister Jack Chambers for meeting with the EOPD Ireland team on Friday 21st February, to discuss how funding could improve the lives of people living with Parkinson’s Disease. We were grateful for the support of Minister Jack Chambers and the expert insights of Catherine, who is a Consultant Neurosurgeon, subspecialising in Complex Spinal Neurosurgery, Functional Neurosurgery (Deep Brain Stimulation) and General Neurosurgery.  Catherine’s expertise brought Deep Brain Stimulation surgery to Ireland in 2021.

Topics discussed included funding for an updated model of the neurosurgical robot that is currently being used for Deep Brain Stimulation surgery. The current robot is five years old, and allows for one Deep Brain Stimulation operation to take place per day, however a newer version of the robot is available, which would allow for two operations to take place per day, doubling the access to this crucial surgery which significantly improves the quality of life for patients living with Parkinson’s disease, Essential Tremor and Dystonia. 

Also discussed at the meeting was the reopening of the Brain Bank to allow people to donate their brain to facilitate research into neurological disorders. The brain is a highly complex organ, and brain donations are a key element to brain research, providing valuable information on diagnosis and treatment of people with Parkinson’s Disease, which will ultimately lead to improved quality of life for patients. We called on the assistance of Minister Jack Chambers to help secure the funding required to make the Brain Bank operational. 

Finally, we discussed the need for suitable facilities to care for people with Early Onset Parkinson’s Disease. These facilities need to be specialised, to ensure that the care and setting provided, is suitable to the ages of those living with EOPD. We also discussed the need for multidisciplinary services to provide the standard of care required for people living with this condition.  

Overall, we found the meeting to be very productive and the EOPD Ireland team are grateful for the engagement and support of both Catherine and Jack. We look forward to discussing the further steps to be taken to ensure these vital and meaningful services are delivered to the Early Onset Parkinson’s community and beyond.