Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)

The findings on the use of pelvic osteotomy in children with developmental hip dysplasia raises deeply troubling concerns, not only for the families directly affected but for public confidence in paediatric care in this country. We are speaking about children, vulnerable young patients whose parents trusted the health system to do right by them. Serious questions now hang over whether some of these children underwent invasive surgery unnecessarily or without proper clinical justification. This is a frightening prospect and it demands full transparency, accountability and urgency in response.

I welcome the commissioning of an independent external medical audit but I believe we have to go outside of the country, and not to Northern Ireland, to get true independence for a proper audit. Let me be very clear. Families deserve to know the full truth and not be given sanitised summaries or bureaucratic brush offs. The audit must be thorough, independent in the true sense and patient focused. Anything less would be an insult to those children who may be living with lifelong consequences.

Furthermore, the lack of clear national guidelines or oversight on indicators for complex orthopaedic interventions such as pelvic osteotomy is unacceptable. This is not only a clinical matter. It is a systemic governance failure that must be addressed by the HSE, the Department of Health and the House. We need to listen to families, protect and support whistleblowers and ensure no child is ever again subjected to any procedure that may not be necessary. We have to have changes. There is no point in coming in here. We had an apology this evening, and a very profound one, from the Minister for Justice.

This is clearly unacceptable. It is scary. My late brother was a paediatrician of some renown and I cannot imagine what he would think about what is happening today. It is just not acceptable. CHI came from the HSE and it is being given back to the HSE now. There are fundamental failures there. We need true independence.

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