Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for the question. It is such a critical issue and it has to be solved permanently. We are all very aware that waiting times for hospital procedures and appointments are unacceptably long. This applies to paediatric orthopaedics, as he rightly said. It is of particular concern to me when it comes to procedures that are time-sensitive, such as scoliosis and others mentioned by the Deputy. I remain acutely aware of the impact that delays are having on children and their families. We remain committed to improving access to these critical services and to ensuring that orthopaedic procedures can be accessed, in good time, and that the complex patient needs remain at the forefront of all service provision.

Since 2018, Children's Health Ireland, CHI, has been provided with an additional €9 million in funding to address paediatric orthopaedic waiting lists. One of my first official engagements as Minister was to meet with the orthopaedic team in Crumlin children's hospital and to see the great work that they do and the challenges that they face. This visit highlighted to me the improvements that need to be made, as well as the impact that timely orthopaedic intervention has on a child and their family.

The additional funding provided has supported the recruitment of a significant number of people. Approximately 60 whole-time equivalents, WTEs, were recruited in 2018 and 2019. Accessing capacity in order that children can undergo the procedures remains a key priority, especially for those children who require time-sensitive procedures. To this end, CHI has been working with the HSE to source additional capacity to reduce waiting times. For example, as the Deputy is aware, Cappagh Kids at the National Orthopaedic Hospital at Cappagh provides additional theatre capacity for non-complex, age-appropriate orthopaedic procedures. Not only do those children get seen, but it frees up freeing up much-needed space at central CHI sites for the more complex work. I will come back with more in my response.

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