Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for her response and I hope she will appreciate that I am not trying to be political in any way, shape or form on this particular issue but we must do everything we can in the coming weeks and months to shorten these waiting lists. These children and their families are enduring too much pain and suffering as a result of the current waiting times and I urge the Minister of State and top officials in the Department to approach this issue with all of their ability and innovative thinking.

We have to get creative. This is life-changing surgery and access to the surgery is the crux of this issue. We must get the theatres adequately staffed to increase the capacity and reduce the waiting times. The longer we leave these children, the worse they get. They start off with a 10^oor 20^odegree of curve. If they are treated at that stage, it will save money on major surgery later on. More money should be put into early diagnosis and treatment for these children before the situation becomes critical. In Mary's case, she was left for 12 months and her curve went from 40^oto 100^odegrees before the surgery was carried out. If that child had been seen when the curve was at 40^o, it would have saved a lot of money for the State and a lot of pain for the child. Many children are coming into the system and there is a waiting list, although I do not have the figure here. I got it from the advocacy group. I ask the Minister of State to do everything she can to take these children in early and have them seen to early so that the curves in their spines will not get too serious before they are treated.

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