Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Minister of State, and I understand she is reading out an answer from the Department and it is not her line responsibility.

I am getting a huge of sense of frustration here. My question was on the financial support. The Minister of State said that certain treatments are available in Ireland and therefore, it is a "No". I am sorry; this is not a normal situation, where the trust breaks down. I will repeat what I said: if there was even a hint of a suggestion that my children were operated on wrongly or unnecessarily, I would not let anyone in that hospital touch them. Their little bodies are precious. To a point, it is disingenuous of the Department to come back here and tell a parent that the hospital should be trusted with the dignity and integrity of their child's little body. I am sorry but the Department is going to have to look at this again, listen to parents, reconsider and support parents, whether it is to get a different doctor to come from abroad to look at these files who is not associated with CHI or Temple Street or who has anything to do with them. It is an unprecedented situation and it calls for an unprecedented response. We need to instil trust in these parents and families.

It is hugely disappointing that we are at this point where the Department is right and proper in doing these audits and all the processes. I have nothing to disagree with. However, where a child's health and physical body is concerned, and their tiny wee bones that could be operated on unnecessarily, they and their families deserve the respect and to be told, "Yes, we will make sure that we will get a doctor that you can trust and believe."

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