David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The problem is that for many parents and many children that is not happening. A number of weeks ago I raised the case of Aiveen , a young child with early-onset scoliosis. Her family crowdfunded for her to go to America to get specialist treatment. She got that and is now doing very well. She certainly did not get the support from the HSE. Her family had to depend on the public coming in behind that campaign and her getting the support. I have mentioned two cases but there are hundreds of children waiting for scoliosis treatment, with many of them waiting longer than the four-month time period. There needs to be more urgency. The families who may be listening will be thinking it is all very well for the Minister to say he will do everything possible, because if it is not happening for those families then that is their lived reality. We have to make it happen for them. We also have to look at what additional capacity is needed domestically as well.

I asked about the second opinion. There is a lack of trust in Children's Health Ireland. It gives me no pleasure to say that, but it is a reality. The Minister had to send in an audit team to look at money that was spent to ensure it went to the right places. We have a number of reviews that are ongoing at the moment. For all those reasons the call by the parents for a second opinion to be funded by the State is a reasonable one and I am asking whether it is something he will support.

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