Ms Paula Kelly:

The implantation of non-medical devices is not appropriate in any situation in the surgical world. We acknowledge that paediatric surgery, relative to adult surgery, can often bring complex challenges in a very complex group of patients, but there is a code of practice and a code of ethics to which all surgeons adhere. The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, RCSI, guidelines of 2018 are really clear as to what can and cannot be implanted in patients. Section 2.2 states that the surgeon must "ensure that any new device complies with European standards and is certified by the competent body". This is therefore inherent in any surgical training, so we cannot stand over any surgeon who implants non-medical devices.