Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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393. To ask the Minister for Health if it is the head of orthopaedic surgeons or the Board of CHI who makes a determination on whether a child can receive spinal surgery; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28027/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Regrettably children can still experience a long waiting period for spinal procedures, and I am very aware of the burden this brings on them and their families.

Several initiatives are underway to help improve access to services including a ringfenced theatre, additional outpatient clinics, and national and international outsourcing to maximise capacity.

The dedicated Paediatric Spinal Surgery Management Unit established in CHI last year drives continuous improvement and address challenges across the service is responsible for managing the delivery of spinal surgery. This includes coordinating spinal services across CHI at Temple Street, CHI at Crumlin and the National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh.

It is supported by the wider CHI Paediatric Orthopaedic and Multi-Disciplinary Teams, ensuring patients are prioritised correctly for surgery and working to reduce waiting lists and waiting times for spinal surgeries.

Also, there is now a dedicated pathway for GPs to refer a patient to CHI, which ensures that urgent cases will be prioritised.

As this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.