Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

Last Thursday members of the Fórsa trade union walked out of several hospitals, one of which was CHI at Crumlin, the national children's hospital. I received calls yesterday from parents in different parts of the country who were personally extremely distressed that there was a serious lapse in their children's care. Young babies could not get IV lines into their arms because of a lack of specialists in the hospital. Distressed nurses and doctors were in a panic. Mostly, distressed parents were really concerned they might lose their babies or children. This is appalling, and will get worse. By the time we return and the Dáil reconvenes in January, we will be in the middle of a huge health crisis. As it is an annual event, it will be much worse when we return. We need that debate before we rise on Thursday. If we do not have it, then shame on us in this House, for not dealing with a crisis staring us in the face, and a crisis of children's health as well as that of the general population.

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