Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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8. To ask the Minister for Health the action that will be taken against surgeons who performed unnecessary surgeries on children at CHI. [34934/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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As Minister, I cannot comment on individual surgeons in CHI, the appropriate avenues for addressing issues with individual health professionals is a matter for their employer and/or referral to the appropriate professional regulatory body.

Following the publication of the Thomas audit report on DDH surgery, my Department wrote to the HSE to clarify if there are any issues relevant for the Medical Council, and if so, if the report has been referred to the Council for their review and any appropriate next steps. The HSE has responded to say they are awaiting an update from CHI on this.

It is my understanding that as a Minister I am precluded from making a complaint in my official capacity. However, I met with the Medical Council last week and requested that they take a more proactive approach in relation to patient safety issues to ensure that all our regulatory system works together to address any issues arising and prevent future incidents as much as possible.

With regard to the current arrangements for any child requiring surgery for DDH, a cross-site pre-op surgical meeting is already in place since early March 2025 in CHI and NOHC. Any child who is listed for a hip surgery, is now discussed at this MDT meeting prior to surgery. All surgeons who perform hip surgeries in CHI, are a part of this MDT, which is also attended by two international experts who observe and participate in the meetings.

In relation to retrospective review of cases to determine the indications for surgery, the HSE is establishing an Expert Panel for this purpose. The HSE is engaging with international experts and expects to have this process established later this year.