Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)

It costs a great deal of money to treat and operate on children who are seriously ill. Many of them spend months, even years, in hospital. The parents of four such children - Jamie Murphy, Dakota Rudd, Jack McNiffe and Sarah Dorney - are so desperate that they allowed them to be photographed by the media this week. As public representatives, we all know their heartbreaking stories and we have heard about many more from families who have contacted us.

How can such children be the victims of the country's financial problems? This is the worst of all cutbacks. No civilised society would delay treatment for children who are seriously ill. Like Deputy Coveney, I am disappointed the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, is not present. However, I call on her to intervene and to provide the money required by Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin, which is over-budget because it is responding to the needs of sick children. It is frequently very expensive to cater for such needs.

The priority in this instance must be the children. I accept that belts must be tightened, that budgets must be controlled and that major reforms must be introduced with regard to certain aspects of health spending. However, the question of children's health should not be an area where such considerations apply. This is an issue on which the Minister must be for turning.

Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin, requires in the region of €9.3 million this year to maintain its services. Management at the hospital made severe cutbacks last year in order to balance the books. Despite this, the hospital still managed to increase its caseload. Management has made cuts where possible but it has now been forced to close at least one ward and an operating theatre and to reduce the number of front-line staff. The direct result of this is obvious - sick children must be placed on longer waiting lists. It is estimated that 3,000 fewer children will be seen this year.

The sum of €9.3 million is a tiny fraction of the €15.957 billion that will be spent on health services this year. Surely 3,000 children are more important than most of the items covered under that budget.

They are more important than outside advisers and spin doctors and layers of management. What is the point in having a Minister for Health and Children if she cannot intervene on an issue such as this? She must use her political authority and insist that the funding required is diverted to Crumlin hospital and that it is spent to address the needs of these children.

I have before me a quotation from a parent of one of those children in Monday's Irish Daily Mail: It states:

How can they do this to children? It is one thing loading taxes on adults - we can complain, children can't. Our Lady's Hospital is the only centre in the country for many of the services provided there - how can you cut the only services available in the country? It's going too far.

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