Muscular Dystrophy Ireland

09/10/2026

Join us for an online workshop on the 14th of Oct at 7pm - 8:30pm

Join us online on 14th October at 7pm for our Assistive Technology Information Webinar. Victoria Geaney from Tus Nua Occupational Therapy will discuss power mobility and the MDI Wellness Programme. Laura from AT Superstore will demo the latest devices. Niamh Bridges from Tobii Dynavox will cover eye

08/10/2026

07/10/2026

MDI CEO Alan Breathnach reports from Irish Presidency Conference on Clinical Trials and Medicine Access today.

I was delighted to receive an invite from the Minister of Health Jennifer Carol MacNeil to attend the Irish Presidency Conference on Clinical Trials and Medicine Access today. The conference is essentially about how Europe can make the journey from medical research to patient access to medicines fas

06/10/2026

Budget 2027 is announced today.

Here's what disabled people and the organisations that support them need from it.

🔸On the Cost of Disability: A recurring, universal Cost of Disability payment of €55 a week as an interim step. The extra costs of disability, between €488 and €555 a week, are ongoing, not once a year.
🔸On income and poverty: An increase to core social protection rates, and a higher income disregard so disabled people can work without losing the supports they rely on.
🔸On the sector: Sustainable, full-cost funding for the community and voluntary organisations that deliver disability services, including funding to meet the cost of pension auto-enrolment, and stability for the organisations left out of last year's uplift.
🔸On everyday life: Action on the extra costs of disability across health, transport and housing — from the medical card and the Drugs Payment Scheme to accessible transport and home adaptation.

These aren't the finish line. But they're the least disabled people can expect.

We'll be watching today's Budget closely.

Read our full pre-Budget submission: https://rebrand.ly/9j23yyk

06/10/2026

It's Kinship Care Week 🧡 Up to 12,000 children in Ireland are raised by grandparents, relatives or family friends. Their carers keep families together, and they deserve real support.
Raising the child of a loved one? Help is available. Read more at link below.

This week Ireland marks its third Kinship Care Week, part of Global Kinship Care Week. Led by Kinship Care Ireland, a national programme of the charity Treoir, the week celebrates the grandparents, relatives and close family friends who step in to raise a child. Kinship care is when a child is rais

02/10/2026

Great atmosphere here in Tallaght Hospital for the first clinic for the administration of Skyclarys..
Well done to all the advocates involved! 🏆

30/09/2026

September 30 is Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy (LGMD) awareness day. By raising awareness, sharing information and building understanding, we can help more people learn about LGMD and recognise the experiences of those living with it.

📣 Advocate for greater awareness
📖 Educate to build understanding
🧡 Celebrate our LGMD community

Together, we can help put LGMD in the spotlight. Please share to raise awareness. 💚

29/09/2026

As Muscular Dystrophy Awareness month comes to an end, some of our team came together, following a staff engagement day, wearing some very colourful, and questionable, shirts and tee-shirts to mark the end of our awareness month.

23/09/2026

💚OPMD Awareness Day – Wednesday, 23 September

Today, MDI is joining the OPMD community in raising awareness of Oculopharyngeal Muscular Dystrophy (OPMD) - a rare, inherited muscle condition.

OPMD usually develops in adulthood and commonly causes drooping eyelids (ptosis) and difficulty swallowing (dysphagia). Some people may also experience weakness in the legs and other muscles.

Swallowing difficulties can make eating and drinking challenging and may cause coughing or choking during meals. As symptoms progress, they can also affect nutrition and increase the risk of food or drink entering the airway.

As a patient organisation, MDI knows how important it is for people living with rare muscle conditions and their families to feel seen, understood and supported.

Today, we stand with everyone affected by OPMD and help shine a light on this rare condition.

💚Please share to help raise awareness.