Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle.

The shocking revelations regarding paediatric surgery at Temple Street Children's Hospital have been met with huge anger and disbelief. It is hard to wrap one's head around the pain and damage experienced by the children and families affected, with 19 vulnerable children harmed, traumatised, in what was a catastrophic, unfathomable breach of care and trust, and too many other children still languishing on spinal procedure waiting lists and their parents left living in fear.

Yesterday I met with parents and advocacy groups and they are very angry. They say that Children's Health Ireland and the HSE have not been upfront with them and are seeking to dodge accountability for the scandal. They say that if the external review is to command their confidence, there is no way Children's Health Ireland or the HSE can play any part in drafting terms of reference. They say that if the terms of reference fall short of their needs, they will boycott the review and not allow their children's files to be accessed. They have expressed deep frustration that this scandal is portrayed as involving one consultant at one site; they say that it is much wider than that. Their experience is one of systemic failure of clinical governance, a deep-rooted failure by the State to resource the system properly and a failure to prioritise their children for life-saving and life-changing operations. The parents are angry about inadequate operating theatres and a frightening lack of intensive care capacity and angry that their children's doctors are forced to beg for necessary resources.

At the weekend it was reported in the media that, far from being in the dark about these experimental surgical techniques, meetings on these matters in fact took place at a very high level and included the head of Children's Health Ireland. This morning I shared with the Taoiseach a letter that came into my possession. The letter seems to confirm that such meetings were happening as far back as 2020, suggesting that the head of Children's Health Ireland was involved in these meetings and was even asked by surgeons for guidance on the use of these techniques. This raises very serious questions for Children's Health Ireland, and those questions require urgent answers. Did these meetings happen? What guidance or advice, if any, was given to surgeons and clinicians by the head of Children's Health Ireland? Does the Taoiseach have answers to these questions? Does the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, yet have answers to them? These facts need to be established urgently because this information is fundamental, I believe, to the drafting of any terms of reference. Certainly, these issues add weight to the call from parents and advocacy groups that Children's Health Ireland can have no hand, act or part in drafting terms of reference and certainly cannot be the body to which any of these reviews report back. Tá doimhne níos mó ann leis an scannal seo. Tá ceisteanna tromchúiseacha ann do CHI. Ní féidir ról ar bith a bheith aige i ndréachtú théarmaí tagartha an athbhreithnithe.

It falls to the Taoiseach as Head of Government to ensure that any review is truly independent and holds the full confidence of families and advocacy groups. The letter to which I refer raises fundamental questions of fact that need to be answered urgently and directly by Children's Health Ireland. The Taoiseach can secure these answers and I urge him to do so. I also ask him to guarantee that Children's Health Ireland will not be involved in the drafting of the review terms of reference.

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