Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Ar dtús báire, caithfidh mé a rá go bhfuil an Rialtas sásta agus den tuairim go gcaithfimid gach aon iarrachta a dhéanamh chun liostaí feithimh na leanaí atá ag feitheamh ar obráidí scolóise a ísliú chomh tapa agus is féidir linn. Is é seo aidhm an Rialtais agus aidhm gach éinne sa Teach seo. Tá an tAire Sláinte ag déanamh gach iarrachta é seo a dhéanamh agus chuir mé sé i bhfad níos mó airgid ar leataobh nó ar fáil do CHI chun go bhféadfaí i bhfad níos mó a dhéanamh. Is léir go bhfuil i bhfad níos mó obráidí ag tarlú anois ná mar a bhí, ach caithfimid níos mó a dhéanamh agus é a dhéanamh níos tapúla. Tá an Rialtas ag coimeád an bhéim ar an mbuncheist nó ar an mbunaidhm sin, is é sin na liostaí feithimh a ísliú chomh tapa agus is féidir linn.

The Government's commitment is to do everything we possibly can, as quickly as we can, to reduce the waiting lists for children waiting for scoliosis operations. That is what the families and the children, above all, deserve and require. As far as I concerned and as far as the Minister for Health is concerned, we will continue to do that. The allocation of €19 million in funding to CHI was genuinely allocated with a view to significantly reducing those lists. Activity levels have gone up significantly in the past number of years in respect of spinal procedures. Compared to 2018 and 2019, they were up by 34% in 2022 and by 22% in 2023 but that is not enough for those who are still waiting. There was a reduction in the list in 2023 and now there are approximately 70 patients waiting for more than four months for operations. That is not satisfactory and I acknowledge that. There have been issues within the service, as we know, which were unexpected and which have affected capacity. The €19 million has been spent and it is important to say that. It was allocated to both current and capital spending and facilitated the recruitment of more than 200 additional clinicians, a new fifth operating theatre in Temple Street, a new second MRI facility for Crumlin, approximately 20 additional hospital beds and additional resources for Cappagh hospital. Those resources were to be used for spinal services. While there was a reference in the allocation to "other" services also, the money was primarily for children's spinal services.

CHI informed the Minister that its plan would mean that by the end of 2022 the number of children waiting over four months would be reduced to zero. That is what CHI said to the Minister and the Minister funded the plan on that basis. The investment did result in an increase in the number of surgeries performed but the reduction in the waiting list was modest and was nowhere near what was promised. The Minister did engage on this in 2023, contrary to what the Deputy said. He did not ignore the issue but engaged directly with spinal surgeons and advocacy groups. It became clear that the additional resources of €19 million had been allocated far wider than just children's spinal, or even children's orthopaedic, services. He then asked the Department to ascertain exactly how the resources were being allocated across different services but, unfortunately, CHI did not provide this information. The Minister raised the issue with the CHI board but that did not resolve it either. Then he asked the CEO of the HSE to send in the HSE's internal auditors to get this information and that work is nearing completion. However, based on ongoing detailed engagement between the Minister, CHI's new interim CEO and the spinal clinical lead, Mr. David Moore, it is clear that the majority of the additional resources were not ring-fenced for the purpose intended by Government.

See this speech in context