Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the response, but I take issue with parts of it, specifically that the current service consists of a clinical nurse specialist. That is not true. I appreciate that a position has been offered but the reality is the person cannot take up that position until 2022. In effect, there is no clinical nurse specialist attached to this service.

I refer to Professor O'Grady's recommendation and business case for a second clinical nurse specialist for this service in line with international norms. I acknowledge that parents and children can access services through the emergency department, if necessary, but in the context of Covid-19 we are trying to discourage that. It is critical that we get this service back up and running. It is a vital service for the region. To be honest, the response issued from the HSE through the Minister of State is not good enough for the parents and young children.

I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge Professor O'Grady who, along with his family, moved here from Australia eight years ago, settling in Mullingar town, and pioneered and developed this state-of-the-art leading paediatric diabetes service in this country, of which the hospital in Mullingar is incredibly proud. He has spoken passionately about this service. He is exasperated and the parents are crestfallen. They have spoken about the demise of the service and have communicated this in emails. To be honest, they are angry and distraught. It would seem that the only bodies that can save this service are the HSE and the office of the Department of Health. I plead with the Minister of State to take back to the HSE the message that the people of four counties, including Longford, Westmeath, Offaly and Meath, are dependent on this service and that its response via the Minister of State this evening is not good enough for the parents and children concerned.

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