Mary Moran (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am decidedly disappointed with this response. It is certainly not clear. The Minister of State said he must go back to look for tertiary services, but he has done that and we have the letter to prove it. The surgeon has stated that he has seen everyone in Ireland. The treatment sought is in one of the most well-known hospitals in England. Two consultant orthopaedic physicians, one a professor, have signed letters stating that he is in need of this treatment. I am at a loss to understand the response to a request for something that is obviously minor, although perhaps I should not say minor. I cannot fathom why it cannot be considered. I strongly call on the Minister of State to take this back to the Minister for Health and perhaps open up correspondence with the family involved to encourage them. They are not going to accept this. They have given all the details. I call on the Minister to enter into a correspondence to help this young man achieve the best of his ability rather than subject him to a life of pain. He is experiencing excruciating pain on an ongoing basis and yet this treatment could help him and his family. I have met his mother, who is totally distraught at this stage, as I or the Minister of State would be if one of my children or his children were in the same situation.