Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This motion outlines the stark statistics pertaining to the long waiting lists for children who require orthopaedic surgery. Behind every statistic is a child from a toddler to a teen, who is waiting in pain when they should be enjoying their lives. As a parent, I would do anything for my children, and the parents here are doing everything they can for their children but it is like banging their heads off a brick wall.

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They are watching helplessly while their children endure pain and are unable to live their best lives. It is affecting their education and their ability to socialise with their peers. It is preventing them from living their best lives and enjoying their childhood. Due to these delays, the Minister is creating a level of dependency. He is ensuring that operations will be more complex due to the complications that arise as a result of the delay in performing surgery. Children are at risk of losing limbs, of there being irreparable damage, and of having constant and lifelong pain. This needs to be addressed without delay. In discussions we have had with parents and advocates they have told us that what is required is a comprehensive, transparent and structured review of orthopaedic services. This needs to be carried out by an independent task force with them and with clinicians, but independent of CHI management. That is important. It has to be a transparent task force. It is time that this Government began to engage with parents, advocates and clinicians and listen to their concerns. The Government needs to start acting on these concerns. It is way past time for children to be put first. The Government must commit to resource and expanding the paediatric orthopaedic elective care centre at the National Orthopaedic Hospital in Cappagh. It needs to deliver a centre for elective paediatric urology services. It is way beyond time for the State to put children first. They deserve better.

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