Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)

It is very important that since we have the issue of broken promises and confidence on the table, we deal with all the Tánaiste's infamous promises. The first one, of course, relates to 2017 and the promise no child would wait more than four months for scoliosis surgery. The Tánaiste has a habit of making grandiose promises he cannot fulfil and we are now in a situation where Gillian and Stephen in particular, and the other parents, have had to campaign long and hard. Government TDs left the briefing yesterday, which has been referred to many times, giving a commitment they would call for a public statutory inquiry. I want to find out whether we are getting this public statutory inquiry. I have heard about an inquiry, but I have not heard about the nature of it.

I will also mention very briefly the spinal surgery waiting list. A key item to come out of yesterday's briefing was that the waiting list is completely static. Travel abroad has not happened. CHI promises, but it delivers a little bit like the Tánaiste. We need a commitment to a public statutory inquiry - that is what parents are asking for - before we decide how we vote on this motion.

I also want to ask about Palestine. It is another area the Tánaiste is responsible for and has made promises about. There has been a horrific genocide for two years, as we know. He has talked the talk but he has not walked the walk.

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