Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)

I express my gratitude and the gratitude of everyone to the whistleblower who came forward with this information. Parents need answers. Children must come first in this whole process. There needs to be open transparency and accountability. Children must have the follow-up care they need. Some 80% of the hip surgeries in Cappagh and 60% of the hip surgeries in Temple Street were unnecessary. That is just unbelievable. It is unimaginable that this number of surgeries that were not needed were carried out on children. Every figure represents a child.

The Department was notified in May of last year and began the audit last summer.

It is nearly June and people still do not have answers. They still do not know if their children needed surgery or not. In Cork, there are 32 families waiting for answers.

Every person whose child has ever had hip surgery now has serious questions. It is unbelievable that this has happened. Time and again, this State failed the most vulnerable children, including thalidomide survivors, those with scoliosis, those from mother and baby homes and children with disabilities. We had a child outside Leinster House last week campaigning for the legal right to assessments of needs because our Government will not deliver what was promised. Every child, no matter what his or her age now, who could be or who was affected by these unnecessary operations or who does not know if the procedures they underwent were unnecessary must be included in the process and have his or her voice heard. Where was the oversight? Where were the checks and balances? How could this happen? There are hundreds of children. How could it happen? There are serious questions about private healthcare.

Something radical needs to be done. Every year or every second year, we have scandal after scandal. When will it stop? I know from personal experience what it is like to have a sick child. I know from personal experience what it is like to be failed. The vast majority of doctors and consultants do a brilliant job, but some of them do not.

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