Ms Paula Kelly:

I thank the Chairman. I took up the clinical lead in February of this year. We have a very clear vision across the orthopaedic department which includes all the surgeons, nursing and anaesthesia. We work with a very large team which looks after all of these children. We have a very clear vision of what we want to do and number one is that by a particular time we want to have no children waiting for surgery and, more specifically, not just in terms of numbers, we want to be in a position where children are not suffering, be that in pain or from a psychological point of view in not being able to play sports and all of those things. That is the situation we want to be in.

I and our team believe that this is the first time in Irish history that this is achievable. For the first time we have an infrastructure in the new children’s hospital, albeit it is down the road a little bit, that will allow us to have four orthopaedic theatres running for children and will have 23 protected beds which will not be affected by the emergency department. That will allow us to have a dedicated spinal theatre. There is also a dedicated trauma theatre which will continue our trauma service. We have a management structure which is listening, is actively engaged and is open to our discussions on a regular basis. We have a Government that that has given a commitment to fund what is needed. I really believe that this is an opportunity and if we get this wrong we have no excuse.