Maire Devine (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I propose to amend the Order of Business to include motion No. 12 on the Order Paper, submitted by the Sinn Féin group, without debate. It is about children with serious and complex medical needs and the community participation in primary care that is vital. It is widely accepted best practice that service users should be involved at every stage of service development and implementation. A national steering group is being set up to decide on policy for children with complex medical needs but there is no representative of the parents' voice on that group. It is disappointing and bizarre. It is a ridiculous stance on the part of the HSE. I am proposing this amendment to the Order of Business because of the urgency of the matter. I believe the group will be established in the next few days and we might as well pack up and go home if parents are not included in it. They are the experts. They care for their children and have their best interests at heart. That is true of the other people in the group but we need the ethos of community participation, which is well established in our systems and particularly our health system. We must empower parents in the best interests of their children.