Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)

I am a bit out of breath but I am delighted to be able to speak on this. I am delighted go bhfuil an tAire anseo and listening to the debate. It is very important. This has to be sorted out. I raised today during Questions on Policy or Legislation the issue of CDNTs in Clonmel. They are so depleted. There have been 11 staff vacancies there for years. I said mol an óige agus tiocfaidh sí. There are children who have varying degrees of needs - some with very little - in need of assistance. This scoliosis issue beggars belief. It is such a profound, challenging illness that is so obvious to parents and everyone.

Some years ago, when this was debated, there was some proposal to send children and patients to America by aeroplane. Obviously, that was a no-brainer given they could not travel by aeroplane because of their condition. I suggested at that time that if we were serious about this, we would get some specialist surgeons from the United States or wherever and bring them here to deal with the backlog and waiting lists. I do not have to remind the Minister of what her party leader and current Tánaiste promised and what happened there. Money went in and it was ring-fenced, but it turned out it was not ring-fenced but, rather, was used up elsewhere. What kind of out-of-control HSE health system do we have? It seems to totally lack in compassion and empathy. There are many good people involved. My late brother was a paediatrician of some renown and he cared deeply. I know many health people do but it is the management. “Management” is such a bland word. How can these systems be so callous and unempathetic in how they deal with people on a daily basis? How can they see a problem and just walk away from it? It would not happen on farms. It would not be allowed to happen. It is so devastating for families. We saw loss of life and how files were wrongly entered or classified. It is so simple to say that but it is so deeply hurtful, sad and troubling to parents, anyone with a heart and anyone who is human.

The HSE is not fit for purpose. It has not been for a while. CHI is not fit for purpose by any means, nor is Tusla, but we keep piling on, giving them more and more money, adding more directors and letting them all have big fancy titles while the basic, decent humanity of a required surgery cannot be done in a timely manner. If we do not have the expertise here, we should be importing it from abroad and trying to show some compassion. Otherwise, we should fold up our tent in here and go away. We are like a Third World country. It is shocking. It hurts me deeply to have to talk about it.

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