Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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421. To ask the Minister for Health the number of correspondence he has received from advocacy groups (details supplied) raising concerns in respect of the €19 million allocated to Children’s Health Ireland to reduce waiting lists for spinal surgeries since it was announced in 2022, including the dates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30510/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I want to acknowledge that waiting lists for scoliosis and spina bifida services are unacceptably long. I am acutely conscious of the burden that this places on patients and their families.

In 2022, I asked Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) to come up with a plan to achieve a 4-month waiting time for in-patient access to treatment. I committed €19 million to this plan to tackle these waiting lists. This investment included a 5th operating theatre in Temple Street, a second MRI in Crumlin, and additional beds. The investment has continued throughout 2023 and Scoliosis and Spina Bifida remain priority areas under the 2024 Waiting List Action Plan.

At the end of 2023, following the implementation of the majority of the additional capacity, and having consulted with patient groups and clinicians, I instructed my officials to seek assurances from the HSE and CHI that the funding allocated was being utilised as intended. The response received was not satisfactory.

In February, I took the unprecedented step of asking the HSE to have their internal audit team review the allocation of the €19 million in the context of what it was allocated to achieve. I am awaiting the final report of this review.

I have asked my officials to examine the correspondence from advocacy groups to determine the number that have raised these concerns as well as the specific dates, and to provide these details to the Deputy by direct reply.