Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE) | Oireachtas source

Children with spina bifida have been failed scandalously by this State. Now, their families are faced with the horrifying revelations that some of their children who went through surgeries in Temple Street hospital did not get the care they needed. There were extremely high rates of complications and, most scandalously, three had unlicensed non-medical grade springs inserted into them. I spoke to one of the families over the weekend and it would be fair to say they are in absolute turmoil.

They do not feel listened to so far. This scandal is not only about the actions of one surgeon. It is about a governance process that would allow it to happen, and where this would still be happening if it was not for one brave whistleblower speaking out and a journalist who exposed it in an article on The Ditch. Now we have a second external review, after a first internal review and a first external review, essentially because the first external review did not uncover the use of the springs. It took The Ditchto highlight this.

This review must get it right. The families must be at the heart of the process and their views have to be taken on board. The terms of reference have to be amended to include all CHI children's operations. There must be a spinal surgeon on the external review team. The internal review into spinal operations in Crumlin, which has already taken place, must be published.

I want to focus my question on when the Government knew about it. The Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, has been quoted as saying that his Department only became aware of it in August and I do not understand how that can be the case. On 10 May, I asked a parliamentary question to the Minister asking whether all implants used were appropriately licensed. On 25 May, I got an answer from CHI saying that to the best of its knowledge, all spinal implants were CE approved and licensed appropriately. We now know that this was not the case. Why was the "to the best of our knowledge" there? I asked again in June and got the same answer, without the "to the best of our knowledge".

On 13 July, I asked the Minister for Health how many spring implants had been used in Temple Street hospital, how many had been removed and how many failed in situ. I asked whether they were CE marked and if not, what governance process oversaw and permitted their use. That was on 13 July but that is not all. On 5 July, I asked the Taoiseach about this. I spoke to him in the Dáil about the allegations that unlicensed implants had been used in children. The Taoiseach said to me in response that he did not know about it but said he would "let the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, know that it was raised in the Chamber and get back to the Deputy". I did not hear anything back from the Taoiseach or the Minister.

What did the Taoiseach do after 5 July? I raised this extremely serious allegation with him. He said that he was going to speak to the Minister for Health. Did he tell the Minister about it and when, and then what action was taken by the Government?

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