Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle's office for granting me the opportunity to discuss this matter during the Adjournment debate this evening. I welcome the Minister of State with responsibility for children and young people, Deputy Barry Andrews, to the House.

It is a matter of desperation that I bring this matter before the House. I have never previously raised a health issue on the Adjournment debate. It is a sign of the significance of the issue that I have done so this evening. Cian O'Brien is a four year old child. He will be five in a couple of weeks time. He was born with cerebral palsy and developed severe epilepsy when he was two. The epilepsy was controlled by medication until March of this year. Since then his epilepsy has become worse and he has been in Cork University Hospital since May. The team of doctors and nurses that has looked after him has been doing a remarkable job and his family is extraordinarily grateful. They know that without the team's work, the child would have died.

Cian has intractable epilepsy. He is under the care of Ms Olivia O'Mahony, consultant neurologist at Cork University Hospital, who has tried every medication to try to control Cian's seizures. These seizures can occur up to 400 times per day. After numerous ECGs, MRI scans and other tests in Cork and the children's hospital in Temple Street, it was decided that Cian needed life saving brain surgery. His family were advised at the start of August that the operation would take place in Beaumont Hospital within the first two weeks of September. They were told a team of 21 medical staff would be involved in the operation. The operation would involve a radical procedure being carried out which involved splitting his brain.

On 1 September, Cian's consultant neurologist was contacted by the team in Beaumont to say that it was ready to "go" but did not have a paediatric anaesthetist and that contact would be made again when one was secured. The consultant neurologist at this stage suggested that the family try to have the operation carried out in Great Ormond Street in London, but they were advised that this would take too long and that the HSE would instead carry out the operation in Beaumont. On Friday, 18 September, Cian's family were advised by their consultant that Beaumont had been in contact to say again that it could not get a paediatric anaesthetist and therefore cannot do the operation.

I have just one question for the Minister. When will this child have his operation?

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I am responding on behalf of my colleague, Deputy Mary Harney, Minister for Health and Children. The HSE has informed the Minister that the case of the child in question, which is complex, has been the subject of discussion between Cork University Hospital and the relevant specialists at the Children's University Hospital, Temple Street. Owing to the serious nature of this case it is being dealt with as a priority. In the circumstances it has been agreed the patient should be treated in Beaumont Hospital and the clinicians involved are currently working to agree a suitable date for surgery.

In Ireland, adult neurosurgery is undertaken in Beaumont Hospital in Dublin and in Cork University Hospital. There are currently 13 posts of consultants in neurosurgery, of which four have a special interest in paediatrics. Currently, service provision for paediatric neurosurgery is spread between the two adult neurosurgery centres and two of the children's hospitals in Dublin. All paediatric neurosurgery services will eventually be provided at the new national paediatric hospital.

The HSE commissioned a review in 2007 of current paediatric neurosurgery services in Ireland. This clinically-led review supported an approach in which all paediatric neurosurgical activity is undertaken by trained neurosurgeons with a special interest in children, with close links to the adult neurosurgical service and in an environment which is focused on the needs of children. This has informed an early decision to approve two neurosurgery posts with a special interest in paediatrics. The HSE has allocated €2 million from development funds provided in 2009 to support the development of a citywide paediatric neurosurgery service in Dublin. The two consultant posts are being progressed through the recruitment process and two consultant anaesthetist posts have been advertised to support this service.

This also shows the urgent need to bring together all complex hospital services for children in one national paediatric hospital.

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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With respect, all I wish to know is when the child will have the operation.

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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In this regard, the House will be pleased to note the confirmation earlier today at the Oireachtas health committee by the HSE chief executive, Professor Drumm, that Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin is to begin engaging fully with the development of the new paediatric hospital and will have representation on the hospital's development board.

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The Minister says she is very hopeful that the patient involved will receive the surgery he requires at an early date.

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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As of this evening there is no date for this child's surgery.