Simon Harris was responding to Sinn Féin, who introduced up a previous promise he made, as he took his first Leaders’ Questions within the chamber as Head of Authorities.
Sinn Féin chief Mary Lou McDonald reminded Mr Harris that he had promised, as Minister for Well being in 2017, that no youngster with scoliosis would wait longer than 12 months for corrective surgical procedure.
However Ms McDonald stated the scenario at the moment was that 4,000 such youngsters have been awaiting their first medical session.
A complete of 270 have been on the surgical procedure checklist, of whom 78 have been ready for longer than the 4 months Mr Harris had promised seven years in the past.
“Essentially the most determined, in lots of instances, have had the longest wait,” she stated.
Mr Harris stated the four-month most ready time was stated to him by the HSE on the time, and remained the scientific recommendation now. “By putting that target scoliosis, we noticed a really important discount in youngsters ready 4 months. It was actual. It was felt,” he stated. However the Covid pandemic occurred and had results in lots of areas, together with scoliosis.
He stated there had been 509 youngster spinal operations in 2022, in comparison with 380 in 2019, which was 34pc enhance.
An additional 22pc enhance had taken place in 2023, he stated, and to this point this yr there had been over 120 spinal procedures.
Ms McDonald stated nonetheless that she had met the households of scoliosis victims yesterday and so they have been damage, indignant and felt betrayed.
There was a 19-year-old grownup who had been advised to “wait and wait and wait” as a baby and whose curvature was now inoperable.
“Phrases and rhetoric are of no good to them,” she stated, including that there was ache and agony at the moment as a result of the Authorities was no residing as much as the four-month promise.
In scoliosis the backbone twists and curves, she stated, and “may cause the ribcage to press in opposition to the lungs and inner organs, making it more and more tough to breathe”.
“It is particularly robust on younger youngsters, the place the kid does not get the surgical procedures that they want on time. The implications are devastating. The longer they wait, the extra advanced procedures they may ultimately want,” she stated.
“And with out well timed care, youngsters find yourself in wheelchairs. Some youngsters run out of time. Too many youngsters and their mother and father face this agonising wait.
“Their struggling and the psychological misery is simply unimaginable.”
Mr Harris stated the Minister for Well being, Stephen Donnelly, “has been placing an actual give attention to this difficulty. He is appointed David Moore, marketing consultant surgeon, to be scientific lead”. “We now have the paediatric spinal surgical procedure administration unit in place. My understanding is Mr Moore is now wanting on the difficulty raised in relation to therapy overseas,” he stated.
“And I feel it is essential that’s thought-about.” The Taoiseach added: “This is a matter which is able to proceed to obtain extraordinary ranges of care, funding and a focus from Authorities. “I do know additionally that the Minister for Well being is convening a devoted paediatric spinal taskforce with an impartial chair, seen as important by lots of the advocacy teams.
“That impartial chair is Mark Huntington, who’s a senior counsel, and he’s now assembly stakeholders and with affected person teams.”
