Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy raises an interesting point. I think all of us have had a case or cases across our desk, or even had family exposure to such cases, involving cancer or orthopaedic care of treatment. It is always so much tougher when it is a treatment for a young person or child. Every day people leave the State to go for treatment. Many of them leave the State with the support of the Government to receive treatment. The much-maligned Government jet and the Air Corps spend much time bringing people for emergency treatment in the UK in sister hospitals in cases where treatment simply is not available on this island due to size, capacity, skills, etc. There is not a specific fund but a considerable amount of money is spent every year to support patients to get treatment outside the State. There is, through various provisions in the European Union and the UK, the option for people to seek treatment abroad.

The case the Deputy raised, like any case, has its individual merits and complications. The easiest way is for the Deputy to sit down with the Minister or officials in the HSE to see if he can get a resolution for this poor child after 14 years. I am more than happy to bring that to the Minister on the Deputy's behalf.

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