Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I commend all the campaigners who stood outside the Dáil today, especially the Byrne family from County Wexford. This motion has come about due to the failure of the Government to fulfil its promise to the children who suffer from spina bifida and scoliosis. The promise was that no child would have to wait more than four months for surgery. The Minister has said the State has failed the children affected by spina bifida and scoliosis.

The recent exposure of the alleged use of non-CE marked implantation springs demonstrates a serious fault line in the existing processing system and that children with the condition in question are not being treated in a fair, efficient and timely fashion. We know that time is the most essential and important ingredient in the whole process and often can save lives. As evidenced in the Sláintecare waiting list metrics, childcare services are not operating at a satisfactory level. Patient advocates state recent reviews show CHI paediatric orthopaedic services are inefficient, narrow in scope and unlikely to reveal the true extent of the existing problems. This is why stakeholders and Sinn Féin are calling for the establishment of a task force, totally transparent and independent of CHI, to delve into the CHI reporting process and mandate CHI to engage and act on the advice of patients, clinicians and patient advocates.

Enshrined in this entire process must be the principle of equal treatment for all children based on their needs, not the ability to pay. If the Government is serious about resolving the waiting list problem, it should make the paediatric orthopaedic elective care centre in Cappagh a top priority. Only by resourcing, expanding and increasing domestic capacity will the country be able to deliver a top-class centre for elective paediatric urology services. The 321 children currently waiting for scoliosis related surgery deserve a better service and a better chance to live their lives to the full. I appeal to all Deputies to support this motion and to the Government to withdraw its amendment.

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