Stroke Action Advocacy

Lobbying Activities                Advocacy        

Since the launch of the 16 point Stroke Manifesto in November 2009, the Irish Heart Foundation’s Stroke Action team have been busy lobbying members of the Oireachtas and representatives of the HSE.
  
The team met with the Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney TD, the Minister of State for Older People and Health Promotion, Áine Brady TD, Fine Gael Health spokesman James Reilly and Labour Party Health spokeswoman Jan O’Sullivan to discuss the state of stroke services in Ireland and the urgent need for improvements to eliminate avoidable death and disability from stroke.

We also met with the Chairman of the Joint Oireachtas Health Committee, Seán Ó’Fearghaίl of Fianna Fail,  Fine Gael Deputy Spokesman on Health with Special Responsibility for Older People Paul Connaughton, Labour spokeswoman on Disability Issues and Equality Kathleen Lynch and a large number of other TDs and Senators.

As a result of our meetings and correspondence with the members of the Oireachtas, approximately 35 parliamentary questions were tabled on stroke care and on delays in the publication of the Department of Health CVD policy and implementation plan which contains recommendations that would provide the basis for massively improved stroke care in Ireland. In addition, the issue of stroke care was raised on the order of business in the Seanad for the first time ever.
 
You can read some of the questions put to the Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney on the provision of stroke care below;
 
 
 
 
 
Stroke care was raised on the order of business in the Seanad.

The Seanad members agreed to devote an entire session to the discussion of stroke care in 2010.  We have also been invited to present to the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children on stroke. 

Be the voice for stroke!

You have the power to change stroke services in your area, as a constituent and a voter you can lobby your own TDs about stroke care.  Read how to get involved in the campaign, you will see how you can lobby your own TDs through letter writing and face-to-face meetings.