Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is important to state that, as with all capital projects, this project must progress through the various stages of public spending code and the HSE's capital project manuals and approval protocols in the first instance. The project is currently at a strategic assessment stage and its progress is subject to approval and availability of funding. It is also important to state, however, that decisions are currently being made in respect of elective hospitals. The National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF, funding does not support these children because we cannot outsource them across the border or send them to other countries for care for the simple reason that the HSE has clearly stated that the outsourcing of spinal patients to external providers in the UK and Europe has not been overly successful as spinal patients often require additional follow-up and management of post-operative complications. These factors are compounded by the difficulties associated with travel overseas by patients, especially now during Covid. Although the Government is committed to the NTPF and wants to ensure the waiting list can come down, there is no short cut to supporting these families apart from having an elective service providing start-to-finish delivery of care under one roof. That cannot be on an ad hocbasis. I look forward to the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, joining me. I thank all the Deputies involved for their support on this. It is one of the topics on which Deputies from all parties and none are united in wanting to get a solution.

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