Dáil debates
Tuesday, 26 September 2023
Children's Health Ireland - Patient safety concerns and reviews in paediatric orthopaedic surgical services: Statements, Questions and Answers
5:40 pm
Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source
In what world is it okay that this situation could come to light in July 2022 only for the report to be commissioned four months later in November? Families all over the country are in a dismal situation now, having waited and waited to get appointments, to be seen and to have operations. For a very long time, people have been approaching every Deputy and Senator about significant problems with access. Dealing with conditions like spina bifida and scoliosis is terrifying for any family because they know what they will be facing, given that many others have already had such negative experiences for so long.
Deputy Durkan stated that he hoped this situation would be resolved, but we need more than hope. We need action. That is the problem now. Good work is done in every part of the public sector, and no one denies that that includes the HSE, but when there is a difficulty, it seems that there is a rush to cover it up, not to resolve it and ensure it does not happen again. That is the case in many areas of the public sector, and seems to be the case in the HSE. We need to be able to find a way of ensuring that does not happen anymore so that people can have confidence in what the future holds for them.
Too many people have been in this situation for too long. It is not just about today’s families who are burdened with this situation and have had to wait for years to have their loved ones looked after. Every week, there are new families looking for a resolution to this situation. They see the suffering and terrible predicament of so many others. They need to be able to see that the future will be better than the present.
While I appreciate Deputy Durkan’s remark that he hopes this situation changes, we need action to do that. Such action can only come from the Minister. He is responsible. He needs to ensure that no other family is put in a position where they cannot trust that their child will be looked after properly. That has already happened to too many.
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