Sinn Féin has tabled a motion demanding immediate government action on spinal services for children and paedriatric orthopedic services more generally.
The party’s health spokesperson David Cullinane condemned “the lack of engagement and consultation” with children and their families.
“Trust has broken down”, he warned.
Families want the task force which is being set up to improve services to be “independent of Children’s Health Ireland”, Mr Culinane noted.
Children are “waiting in agony for years on end” for essential surgery, he said. Some of them attended this evening’s debate following a protest outside the Dáil.
Tabling an amendment, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said that he did not disagree with anything he had heard from the opposition, as there have been “ongoing failings” in these services.
“Every single one of us in this house are united in our absolute detemination to ensure that every child who needs these services gets them when they need them,” the minister said.
Increased investment has led to “a very significant and important increase” in the number of surgeries taking place, and while it is not enough, the challenge now is to accelerate this increase, he added.
Read more: Children and families still in limbo on spinal surgeries
