Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Minister for her opening statement. I know how hard she has been working on this for the last few months. My heart goes out to the families. The Minister and I are thinking of them, the children who are on waiting lists waiting for surgery and those who have lost children.

It is right to say that we are not where we need to be, as the Minister has said. We need to address the urgent problems in spinal care, despite sincere efforts of successive Ministers, and that is true. I acknowledge again the Minister's work on this in the recent months in driving measures to address the urgent problem. She has met with the family of Harvey and she is working to improve access to services. This is under way, including a ring-fenced theatre, extra outpatient clinics, and national and international outsourcing to maximise capacity. Every effort is being made to reduce waiting times but we know that there are still challenges and reform is needed.

I welcome the Government's approval yesterday of the Minister's proposal for a statutory public inquiry. I fully support this inquiry. I have met with affected families from my own area and I know that they are keen for this inquiry to take place as soon as possible. It is a very important step to ensure that we have the best healthcare system possible for our children.

Every child's journey to spinal surgery is different. Some steps may take longer, especially when the case is complex and several specialists are involved. Every precaution must always be taken to make surgery as safe as possible, to ensure that the children who need complex care are fully prepared, and that their care plan is the right care plan for them.

I understand this can take time. Strengthening governance and oversight, driving down waiting times, and ensuring increased engagement and timely communications with families must be priorities. As the Minister said, working with families and making them a priority is very important. I know she is also committed to this. We must work to ensure there is a cultural change so that families can have trust in the system. I know the CEO of the HSE has established the CHI improvement steering group and has commissioned an audit to assess equal access to care in CHI, and this is a welcome step.

We must continue to listen to and work with the parents and advocacy groups who are highlighting hugely worrying and important issues. Like the Minister, I have been there, speaking to families and working with them. I assure her I will be working with her to give any help and support I can. I know the Government is committed to this. As the Minister has said, our aim is that children receive the care they need when they need it. I look forward to the inquiry taking place as soon as possible.

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