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

-----800 cancellations of children's chemotherapy appointments.

I am astonished by the Taoiseach's approach to this. It appears that he wishes to argue statistical presentational issues. He is not challenging, I am sure, the fact that there were a quarter of a million hospital cancellations. The Taoiseach accepts that, does he? Does he accept also that there were 800 cancellations of chemotherapy appointments for children? I do not care whether he thanks me. His view of me is irrelevant on this issue. I want it sorted out. It is not acceptable that children with cancer diagnoses have their chemotherapy appointments cancelled.

I raised with the Taoiseach specifically the employment embargo, which is real. He calls it, right enough, an employment control update and framework, but the embargo is real and it needs to be removed. If, as he says, he wishes the best outcomes for all patients, including children, he should lift the recruitment embargo. It is not complicated.

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