James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

I move:

"That Dáil Éireann:

noting that Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin is the largest children's hospital in the State, providing some 80 per cent of tertiary or highly specialised children's care for the country:

is deeply concerned:

— that the postponing of lifesaving surgery in growing children should not be an option as it can cause lifelong disability and may even shorten their lifespan;

— that the Government has applied funding cuts of €9.1 million in 2009 which, to date, has led to the indefinite closure of a ward and theatre;

— that cutbacks have resulted in the withdrawal of essential treatment from critically ill children;

— at the unacceptable increase in cancelled operations;

— by the lengthening of already long waiting lists;

— that the hospital is likely to see further ward and theatre closures which will see a reduction of out-patient appointments by 15% or 8,483 attendances and 1,100 admissions in 2009;

— that the National Treatment Purchase Fund is not funding urgent scoliosis surgeries for children experiencing acute pain and suffering, in spite of assurances given by the Minister for Health and Children on 21st May, 2009; and

— that these cutbacks take no account of:

— the increased costs that Crumlin has experienced due to new technologies such as Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxidation which has reduced the mortality from cardiac surgery by 50%;

— the transfer of orthopaedic services from Cork to Crumlin;

— the increasing number of cardiac conditions which are now treatable;

— the huge increase in sickle cell disease in this country which has resulted in Crumlin now having the biggest sickle cell clinic in Europe;

— the increased birth rate over the past number of years; and

— the fact that savings can be made elsewhere in the HSE budget;

calls on the Government to put children first and immediately reverse this penny wise pound foolish decision of reducing the hospital's budget by €9.1 million so as to alleviate the needless pain and suffering of hundreds of children."

I wish to share my time with Deputies Catherine Byrne, Seymour Crawford, Fergus O'Dowd, Tom Hayes and Andrew Doyle.

See this speech in context