Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I was contacted very recently by a mother whose 19 year old son was waiting for treatment in Crumlin. He was then transferred over to the Mater Hospital. She got a phone call about him yesterday. This is a young man with a 100 degree top curve. He needs surgery and the doctors have said that he must have that surgery but he has now been sent back from the Mater. She described her mood at the moment as both "confused and angry". She does not feel that there is a plan in place for her son. Similarly, the five families who have been waiting since last July to hear back from Stanmore in relation to their treatment do not feel there is a credible plan in place.

I welcome the fact that the Minister will come back to me about the 68 children with complex needs because they too need to be dealt with. The Minister did not say anything about the operating theatre, which is only operating three days per week. This is supposed to be a priority. The Minister is right that sometimes we criticise the HSE where that is in order. Indeed, sometimes we criticise the Government and individual Ministers where that is in order. We are also capable of recognising where progress has been made but it is cruel to tell parents and their children that they will have a procedure when that does not look likely in many instances. I have spoken to the parents themselves who have told me that a transfer abroad for treatment takes three to four months from the time a decision is made to transfer a child. I cite the cases of those children who have been waiting to hear from Stanmore since last July. The available evidence suggests that there is a time lag and that it stretches to months rather than weeks. I ask the Minister to give those parents an absolute commitment and assurance that surgeries will start in Germany and in the second site in England in October, as he has just said.

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