Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, for taking this matter. I acknowledge it is an issue the Minister of State is aware of but it is important to raise it again. I am far from being the only person who has raised it. I know that Deputies Brendan Smith and Cahill previously raised this issue. The Minister of State will have met a constituent of mine who highlighted to me the issue. One hears about waiting lists and about difficulties in the health system but it really brings it home when one sees the impact that it has on people. Perhaps I am not very good at understanding situations until I see them. The waiting lists that exist in Ireland for scoliosis and similar problems that children suffer from are simply unacceptable in any First World country. We are talking about a relatively small sum of money - and I appreciate that we are often talking about such small sums of money - but it is probably not a small sum of money, as it is €72 million. In normal times, that would be a very large sum of money. In Covid-19 times, however, money almost becomes no object when we just throw money at problems. I am not here to talk about Covid-19 or waste in that regard but I am here to talk about the very significant impact that these procedures have.

The constituent of mine that the Minister of State met was one of the lucky ones because he was one of those who were most severely affected. Because he was very severely affected, he eventually received treatment. He spent the first number of years of his life unable to walk or stand. It is simply unacceptable that we vest that upon our children because we take extraordinary measures to try to protect people from that from which we cannot protect them, which is something like a pandemic, but we take such few measures to try to deal with that which is eminently treatable in the most countries.

Just last week, the surgical procedures for children on that waiting list were stopped again in Temple Street Children’s University Hospital. This is not a criticism of Temple Street in any way. I appreciate that resources are greatly stretched.

I visited a children's hospital recently. There has been a significant increase in respiratory virus, RV, which would not have a particular impact on me or the Minister of State, but has a significant impact on children. It is simply not good enough that the treatment of children is being stalled in this way, given the impact it has on their lives.

See this speech in context