Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The treatment abroad scheme was mentioned. It is understandable that parents are looking at their children in much pain or even agony in some cases and want to go abroad. There was some criticism of people going to certain countries for surgery thinking they might get a cure or some sort of treatment. I imagine families in that position would ask a consultant in Ireland if they would recommend surgery elsewhere and so on. For the families where it has not worked out and there have been difficulties, they have said the only way to get access to a consultant is through the accident and emergency department, particularly if the procedure abroad has not worked. Could we consider a system for such families, who through no fault of their own took that route thinking it would be quicker or the best one for their child? Could we look at a system for those particular families?