Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)

I rise today to make three quick points in the short time I have available. First, it is the Government's commitment and determination to make progress in spinal services for children. The focus of our current and previous Ministers for Health has been on delivering considerable resources and addressing structural impediments to the delivery of improved spinal services. I want to say to Stephen and Gillian Morrison Sherratt that young Harvey's memory - I say this as a father of young children - stays with us all of the time as we try to address this issue. There is no shortage of compassion or empathy. There is no monopoly on compassion or empathy in trying to address what is such a challenging issue for the families who are deeply affected.

My second point is to question the timing of the proposed motion that Deputy Tóibín flagged he would bring before the House next week. The Dáil resumed after the summer break in mid-September, four weeks ago today. Five weeks would have passed by the time Deputy Tóibín presented the motion that he said he would lay before the House next week.

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