John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Boyd Barrett referred to the case of scoliosis sufferer Sarah-Ann Mitchell. There are many children enduring the same suffering, including my daughter who has a curve in her spine of 45°. As is too often the case, my daughter's problem was not identified early enough, until she was 16. At that stage, a back brace was not an option because her growth was coming to an end. When I was a child, the public health nurses who went into every school in the State, as they still do to carry out vaccinations, also checked for scoliosis. That no longer happens even though it is a simple procedure which takes less than two minutes. Early identification of scoliosis would alleviate the suffering children are having to endure and, in some cases, prevent the need for surgery later on. Will the Minister ensure that process is rolled out across the State? We do not need an action plan or to wait until the end of the month. It can be done in the morning.

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