Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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890. To ask the Minister for Health if she has commissioned an investigation into the response of CHI management and board to internal warnings that arose in 2022 that the allocation of €19 million of scoliosis funds were not being utilised for the intended purpose; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34348/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Scoliosis and Spina Bifida were identified as a priority in both the 2022 and 2023 Waiting List Action Plans with €19 million of current and capital funding committed to tackle these waiting lists by creating additional capacity.

This investment funded a fifth operating theatre in Temple Street, a second MRI in Crumlin, and additional beds. The investment has supported a significant increase in the number of paediatric spinal procedures carried out in 2022 and 2023. In 2022, 509 spinal procedures were carried out, and in 2023, 464 spinal procedures were carried out, compared to 380 for the same period in 2019. This represents a 34% increase and a 22% increase respectively compared to 2019.

Following the implementation of the majority of the additional capacity, and having consulted with patient groups and clinicians, the former Minister asked 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.

The report from the HSE Internal Audit was completed in October 2024 and found that the expenditure was used for the purposes intended. This report "Review on the Implementation of Scoliosis and Spina Bifida Action Plans 2022 and 2023" has since been published on the HSE website.