Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)

Almost a decade ago, the Tánaiste pledged that no child would wait more than four months for spinal surgery. Eight years later, nine year old Harvey Sherratt Morrison died after waiting years for a procedure that could have saved his life. The curve in his spine went from 75 degrees to 130 degrees. By the time Harvey received spinal surgery, the curve had reached the point where it could not be fully corrected, causing his rib cage to twist around his lungs and heart, restricting his breathing and he lost his life - a life for which he and his parents had battled so long and hard.

His story demands accountability and it demands justice. His story of years of immense suffering and pain, of being ignored and sidelined, is not an isolated one. It is all too common for the many children and their families in Ireland suffering with scoliosis and spina bifida. Daniel Collins from Tralee is another child forced to wait years for urgent treatment. He was born with a number of disabilities which require extensive 24-7 care. In 2023, he was diagnosed with scoliosis. It was flagged as requiring urgent care but he did not receive surgery until June this year. One of the most distressing elements of his case is how familiar it sounds. He was waiting so long that his curve went from 22 degrees to 79 degrees to over 90 degrees. Liam Dennehy from Killarney also faced the same wait. He was left to wait so long that even after surgery he will be left with a 35 degree curve for life. His tendons have shortened, he continues to suffer with adult acid reflux and his hands will be locked inward for life. Speaking to his mother, Pam Dennehy, she said it was like being forced to watch your child die right before her eyes in a country that is supposed to have a health system that works but all around her, all she can see is failure - from no disability services to this Government's treatment of carers to the lack of early intervention classes in Kerry, in that it only has two for the whole county while a town like Mallow has three and Cork has 22. Those who need support and treatment the most are being totally overlooked and continuously failed. Pam said she was sickened by the fact that those in government who should be held accountable refused to take any responsibility. She said that they are allergic to accountability and as a result, things continue to get worse because nothing ever changes.

Pam asked me to ask everybody here how they would feel if the only hope their child had of receiving life-saving treatment was to force the Government's hand by posting pictures online? Pam said she still finds it hard to live with the fact that she was forced to do this. I hope you will agree she had no choice. After all, the first time she was ever contacted after years of reaching out was the night before the first failed surgery which finally took place a lot longer than the maximum four months that had been promised it would take. Finally, Pam asked me to say there was no more room for cynicism for the eighth, ninth or even 10th chance.

There was a similar vote of no confidence in 2019. That should have been the end of it. Gillian Sherratt said it best: you failed upwards and it is about justice, accountability and the truth. I hope all Kerry TDs will oppose the motion.

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