Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Cairns for raising this. The experience of Ivy is harrowing and absolutely unacceptable. We, in government, want to work to ensure that is not the experience of children in this country. Last year, the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, approved an ambitious plan from Children's Health Ireland, CHI, to reduce the number of children awaiting spinal orthopaedic procedures for scoliosis or spina bifida by year end. As part of that, €90 million in current and capital funding was allocated to implement the plan. We made progress over the course of last year. As of the end of the year, 509 scoliosis procedures had been carried out compared with 380 for the same period in the year before, a 34% increase, and an increase of 47% compared with the previous year. Cappagh hospital completed 549 non-complex orthopaedic surgeries and 68 surgeries for spina bifida patients transferred from CHI, exceeding the target of 61 for the year.

Despite undertaking a record number of spinal procedures in 2022, corresponding reductions in the waiting lists were offset by increased demand and referrals compared with previous years, with a 30% increase in additions to the spinal surgery lists compared with 2021. The children's hospital believes this is due to the loss of additional capacity elsewhere and also the challenge of Covid-19 and its impact on demand. Temple Street has developed a plan for 2023 to continue to build on the work it did last year. At the end of May this year, Temple Street and also the Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital had completed 171 spinal procedures which is 6% up on the same time last year. This represents 36% of the 2023 target activity. A total of 103 spinal procedures have also been undertaken in the same period, which is 43% of target activity.

The Deputy specifically raised the report of the Ombudsman for Children on Ivy. The children's hospital has advised that it fully accepts the report from the Ombudsman for Children and has developed an action plan to address these recommendations. That investigation centred on the case of Ivy who was 18 at the time of the complaint in 2021 and had been waiting for a spinal fusion surgery for scoliosis for five years since 2016. It is unacceptable that any child would have that experience and that start to their life. The Government is taking the significant steps I have just outlined to try to address the situation. We will continue to build on that and ensure that people who have had this experience in their life and need the support of our health services can avail of those essential services and that the capacity to deliver them is significantly increased.

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