Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday, I raised with the Taoiseach the scandal of tens of thousands of patients being omitted from official waiting list numbers published by the National Treatment Purchase Fund, as revealed on the "RTE Investigates" programme on Monday evening. I will return on another day to my party's recommendation for dealing with this emergency. I wish today to raise another shocking case that highlights the utter incompetence of the Government in managing our health service. The Taoiseach will recall the case of Meadhbh McGivern and the failure to transport her for a liver transplant in July 2011. An inquiry was put in place into the circumstances which led to that failure and to examine existing inter-agency arrangements for people requiring emergency transportation for transplant surgery. Among the recommendations of the inquiry was the need for co-ordination of land and air logistics for patients requiring emergency aero-medical transportation on a 24-hour basis and the requirement for staff to be trained appropriately in aero-medical logistics. At the time, in response to a question from me, the Taoiseach expressed his deep regret for what happened to Meadhbh. I understand from an interview by her father that, buíochas le Dia, she is now doing well.

Fast forward to 22 December last year when Our Lady's Children's Hospital in Crumlin was told by the national aero-medical command centre set up after Meadhbh's case that the transportation of priority 1 children for heart and liver transplants could not be guaranteed over the Christmas period. The matter was brought to the direct attention of the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris. On 3 January, the hospital was informed that the situation had worsened, that the four-hour timeframe for heart transplants was unlikely to be achievable and that the six-hour timeframe for liver transplants was also in doubt. This affects seven children whose lives are at risk. Their families were not informed of these developments.

On 16 January, the hospital was told that the situation will remain unchanged until the end of May this year at the earliest and the Department of Health stated at the time that it will continue to raise the issues with the Department of Defence.

The Taoiseach is the Minister responsible for the Department of Defence. He also expressed deep regret about how Ms Meadhbh McGivern was treated yet it seems that a key recommendation has not been implemented. These are deeply worrying times for the children and the families concerned. Has the Department of Health raised these issues with the Department of Finance and, if so, will the Taoiseach give us the details of this contact? Has this matter been raised directly with the Taoiseach, in his capacity as Minister for Defence, by the Minister for Health, and what is the Taoiseach proposing to do about it? Will the Taoiseach clarify what contingency plans are in place for the transport of transplant patients?

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