Tom Clonan (Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, for coming in. The Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, approached me yesterday to give her personal apologies to the family this matter relates to because she cannot be here due to her schedule. However, I am glad the Minister of State is taking it because we have worked side by side over recent years in the Seanad, and I know he understands where I am coming from with regard to this Commencement matter.

This is the story of Mikey Henry, a 16-year-old boy who lives in Ballina, County Mayo. He has a neurological condition and, unfortunately, he has developed a severe scoliosis of the spine, which is often a secondary consequence of neurological diseases. It has happened to my son. It is an organic, inevitable and predictable consequence of neurological conditions. If we lived in another jurisdiction, he would have had surgical intervention on this twist in his spine. That is normal and routine in other jurisdictions. If we lived in the UK, France or Germany, he would have been treated, but he has not been treated. This is not just the story of Mikey Henry, a 16-year-old. It is the story of all the children on the scoliosis waiting list. It is a predictable, preventable condition that requires surgical intervention, but that does not happen here.

I spoke to other Senators coming in this morning. The sun is shining. I spoke to Senator Murphy of Sinn Féin. He told me it was 17°C in London yesterday. The trees are in blossom and everything is coming back to life, but a 16-year-old is deteriorating at home in Ballina. Because of the extreme curvature of his spine, he now has type 2 respiratory failure.He is on oxygen during the day and has to wear a mask at night. I can tell you what it is to hear your child struggle for breath and struggle to speak. Your voice, and being able to speak, is your most powerful instrument, especially for a disabled citizen, and it is being compromised unnecessarily. He has not been seen at Crumlin for seven months and it is no longer communicating with the family. The family has been told by Crumlin that he is now inoperable. In this country, he has become inoperable. For shame.

This is preventable, avoidable and unnecessary. This is a waste of a young child's life. I have heard so many people talk about the Netflix series "Adolescence". It has become a major talking point, but this is adolescence in Ireland; young boys and girls are left to deteriorate in this manner. The scandal of the children's hospital is not written in the billions of euro it has cost to build it. The scandal of CHI is written on the spines, and the little lungs and hearts, of hundreds of children, such as Mikey Henry and his mother, Penny.

I know the Minister of State will communicate this to the Minister and I have all of the family's contact details. A surgeon who could review Mikey's case will be in Ireland on 31 March. I know from my son's experience that these cases, though complex, can be operated upon. It is within the gift of the State and the Minister to answer this mother's plea for her son. We should not have to do this. For a family, it is like "The Hunger Games". People such as Penny have to come out in public to talk about their son's situation - here we are. Will the Minister of State communicate that to the relevant Ministers? Let us please sort this problem out.

John Cummins (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Senator very much. I know the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, has spoken to him on this matter. I thank him for raising the wider issue. As he will appreciate, I cannot speak to the individual case he referred to. However, I reiterate the Government's commitment to ensuring ongoing improvements in paediatric orthopaedic services to ensure that children with scoliosis and spina bifida are treated as quickly and safely as possible. I acknowledge the Senator's work in this area. He brought forward a Private Members' Bill on the matter last week, which I also acknowledge.

Our goal, and I am sure it is one we all share in this House and outside of it, is for every person in Ireland to have access to the care they need when they need it. I acknowledge that the waiting lists for spinal surgery services are too long and that some patients are waiting longer than we wish. I also acknowledge the difficulties parents are facing, particularly when watching their children in discomfort and pain and having to explain to a son or daughter that they cannot exactly say when his or her suffering may be ended. However, I also have to acknowledge the progress and investment that have been made in recent years, and will continue to be made under the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill.

The additional investment has allocated significant resources to help tackle waiting lists for spinal procedures. Last year, an additional 52 full-time equivalent posts were approved to enhance spinal services, including consultants, nurses and health and social care professionals, 14 of whom are already in post. Additionally, €11.6 million has been allocated for international outsourcing. This builds on the €19 million investment in these services over the past number of years, which has supported the hiring of more staff, an additional theatre and MRI scanner and 24 additional beds. This investment has made an impact. In 2024, 513 paediatric spinal procedures were completed, which is a 10% increase compared with 2023 and a 35% increase compared with 2019. In 2024, the total active spinal waiting list decreased from 127 to 108, which is a reduction of 15%. In 2024, the number of patients actively waiting more than four months decreased by 37%. There was also a 59% reduction in the longest waiting patients, with the number actively waiting for over a year declining from 29 to 12.

I am conscious that these figures will offer little comfort to many parents and children awaiting news on when their surgery will be. The dedicated spinal surgery management unit established within CHI last year is responsible for managing the delivery of spinal surgery and driving continuous improvement to the service. This unit is supported by the wider paediatric orthopaedic and multidisciplinary teams, ensuring patients are prioritised correctly for surgery and working to reduce waiting lists and waiting times for spinal surgeries. Extra outpatient clinics are taking place where new spinal outpatients are being seen. GPs can now refer patients directly to CHI, ensuring that urgent cases will be prioritised. National outsourcing opportunities are being utilised to maximise capacity for complex spinal surgeries and arrangements are in place with hospitals in New York and London. I understand families are supported in accessing these pathways, if it is the right option.

I reiterate that I understand that behind every number is a child and a family. We are doing everything we can to try to assist in reducing those waiting lists further. The investment will assist with that in the time ahead.

Tom Clonan (Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State. When a family comes forward like this and identifies themselves, not only can their individual case be discussed, it must be discussed. This is not a reference to the Minister of State, but I saw it employed as a rhetorical device by previous Ministers and, in particular, the HSE, when they say that they cannot comment on individual cases. However, when a family comes forward, not only can they comment, they must comment on individual cases. It happens in rape cases, where survivors give up their anonymity to raise a particular issue. That is what this family is doing. I hope that in future the HSE will not rely on this rhetorical device to add insult to injury, and moral injury, to the distress being experienced by families.

The window of opportunity for Mikey is closing. I implore the Minister of State to please communicate to the Minister that there is an opportunity to assist this family. If he and I can do something, let us do it. We can devolve authority to the HSE and to CHI but we cannot devolve responsibility. We are in a position to do something for Penny and Mikey. Let us do it.

We could deal with many of these issues at committees. We need to have the committees re-established. Again, that is not a criticism of the Minister of State. We should prevail upon all our colleagues in the House to resolve the issues and get committees up and running, so we can really get to the heart of these issues and matters.

John Cummins (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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I again thank the Senator for raising this matter. I take on board the points he raised. The programme for Government commits to a number of measures, including additional staffing and resources to ensure there is sufficient capacity in the system, and using private capacity both at home and abroad. The Senator's points are very well made. I understand that behind every number is a family and a child. We are working to ensure that we reduce the list, as I outlined. Progress has been made in recent years. It is important to acknowledge that, but of course it is not enough. We will continue to work with the Senator, the House and everybody to try to drive those numbers down even further. I do not want to see, and neither does the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, any child waiting for surgery.