Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House this morning but I was expecting the Minister for Health to be here to deal with what is a very serious matter. Nonetheless, I will air my concerns because they are important and ask that the Minister of State relays them in full to the Minister for Health.

I met Craig Bolger in my constituency office in Carlow last week. He asked that I use his name because he wants me to be his voice. He is a family man, devoted to his ten year old son Brandon, who was diagnosed with cancer on 27 March this year. Brandon's cancer was detected through a stubborn verruca and later operated on. He was lucky that his mother and father kept asking questions and kept fighting for treatment because it took a lot of back and forth to get a diagnosis. I am raising this today because Craig and his wife Sandra have had to fight for their son every step of the way since they first noticed that stubborn verruca. Brandon's cancer, which affects bone or soft tissue, is rare. It is called Ewing sarcoma. In one day, Brandon had a line inserted into his neck, had two teeth pulled and underwent a lumbar puncture. He is a resilient little boy who never complains. His smile is infectious and he would brighten up any room. He should not have to be fighting anything but cancer now. However, Brandon is supposed to have chemotherapy every 14 days at Our Lady's Children's hospital in Crumlin but because of a lack of beds, his chemotherapy has been repeatedly delayed over the last few months. This has happened on several occasions, not just to Brandon but to other children too. This week, Craig raised his frustration with me, with local and national media and on social media. His son's chemotherapy, which has to be administered on time was delayed by five days this week. This little boy is seriously ill. Why did this happen? During this delay, Craig shouted loudly and eventually on Tuesday he got a bed for his son but this is just not good enough. Brandon should get a bed when he needs one. We now have a system in which members of the public have to make a huge noise in order to effect change. If there is an ability to help people, why does our healthcare system make them beg? The Bolgers have asked why they have to beg for a service that should be in place for their seriously ill son. Why can people only get help when they shout about it? Why can they not get the help they need straight away? Why do they have to go to newspapers or radio and television stations? Brandon has a hell of a fight on his hands already. Why does he have to fight for this?

Brandon is going to Barretstown on 5 October. There are great people there and there are great people in Our Lady's hospital in Crumlin and in the health service generally. There are also great parents who should not have to fight these kinds of battles for their children. They are at the end of the tether as it is and are crying out for help. We cannot have a system that does not treat children because of a lack of capacity, funding or resources. Whatever the reason, it is unacceptable. We have children on waiting lists for diagnosis, for surgery and for treatment. They are waiting for care, for treatment and to be seen and to be heard. I ask the Minister of State to explain why this has happened, not once but several times to Brandon and to many other children. Why have children in Crumlin been left waiting for chemotherapy? Why are their parents fighting for a bed? I ask the Minister of State to put a stop to this. I ask her to relay this message to the Minister for Health. He must give a commitment to Craig Bolger and his son Brandon that they will not be waiting for chemotherapy services. No child in this country should be left waiting for chemotherapy or for a bed. A child can wait for Christmas but cannot wait for treatment.