Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

I hope the Minister and her colleagues in Cabinet from both Fianna Fáil and the Green Party, all of whom are equally responsible, have noted this statement. "Best clinical practice" are the key words. Is there even one Government backbencher with the courage to come out from the shadows and make a stand on the issue of children's lives? I appeal to him or her to do so.

I will conclude with the words of one of my constituents, Michelle Murray of Cavan town whose son has had several serious surgical operations in Crumlin and who wrote in the Irish Examiner on 18 June:

Our children are our future and we as parents are their voices. Families may face losing a child. They have gone through and fought a big enough fight through their young lives already and due to these cutbacks face a most uncertain future. We as parents should not have to fight to keep them alive or face losing them due to cutbacks.

See this speech in context