Mary Lou McDonald tackles Simon Harris on past promise to scoliosis patients in his first leaders’ questions as Taoiseach

Simon Harris was responding to Sinn Féin, who brought up a past promise he made, as he took his first Leaders' Questions in the chamber as Head of Government.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald reminded Mr Harris that he had promised, as Minister for Health in 2017, that no child with scoliosis would wait longer than 12 months for corrective surgery.

But Ms McDonald said the situation today was that 4,000 such children were awaiting their first medical consultation.

A total of 270 were on the surgery list, of whom 78 were waiting for longer than the four months Mr Harris had promised seven years ago.

"The most desperate, in many cases, have had the longest wait," she said.

Mr Harris said the four-month maximum waiting time was said to him by the HSE at the time, and remained the clinical advice now. "By placing that focus on scoliosis, we saw a very significant reduction in children waiting four months. It was real. It was felt," he said. But the Covid pandemic happened and had effects in many areas, including scoliosis.

He said there had been 509 child spinal operations in 2022, compared to 380 in 2019, which was 34pc increase.

A further 22pc increase had taken place in 2023, he said, and so far this year there had been over 120 spinal procedures.

Ms McDonald said however that she had met the families of scoliosis sufferers yesterday and they were hurt, angry and felt betrayed.

There was a 19-year-old adult who had been told to "wait and wait and wait" as a child and whose curvature was now inoperable.

"Words and rhetoric are of no good to them," she said, adding that there was pain and agony today because the Government was no living up to the four-month promise.

In scoliosis the spine twists and curves, she said, and "can cause the ribcage to press against the lungs and internal organs, making it increasingly difficult to breathe".

"It's especially tough on young children, where the child doesn't get the surgeries that they need on time. The consequences are devastating. The longer they wait, the more complex procedures they will eventually need,” she said.

"And without timely care, children end up in wheelchairs. Some children run out of time. Too many children and their parents face this agonising wait.

"Their suffering and the mental distress is just unimaginable."

Mr Harris said the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, "has been putting a real focus on this issue. He's appointed David Moore, consultant surgeon, to be clinical lead”. "We now have the paediatric spinal surgery management unit in place. My understanding is Mr Moore is now looking at the issue raised in relation to treatment abroad,” he said.

"And I think it's important that is considered." The Taoiseach added: "This is an issue which will continue to receive extraordinary levels of care, investment and attention from Government. "I know also that the Minister for Health is convening a dedicated paediatric spinal taskforce with an independent chair, seen as essential by many of the advocacy groups.

"That independent chair is Mark Huntington, who is a senior counsel, and he is now meeting stakeholders and with patient groups."

Also in the Dáil today, the Taoiseach denied that the appointment of ministers on the basis of geography can lead to parish-pump politics.

Social Democrats TD Róisín Shortall said Simon Harris had made people ministers because of geography, which could give rise to the perception that having ministerial office is more about delivering goodies for your own constituency than considering the public good.

"Do you accept that ministers must have a national remit and that they should be fully accountable for the spending of public money?" she asked.

"I'm asking if you will give a commitment to draw up guidelines for all of your ministers in relation to the announcement of funding for particular projects or the location of particular public infrastructure?" Ms Shortall added,

It is important that these decisions be taken on the on the basis of objective decision-making, she said, and that there be a rationale for those decisions.

Mr Harris replied: "I can assure you that I appointed people to both Cabinet and as ministers of state based on their ability.

"Obviously, leaders and taoisigh consider a variety of issues. I'd point to gender. Every female Fine Gael TD seeking reelection is now a minister or minister of state. So that's a commitment to gender.

"I think geography does have an important role to play in politics. It's not all just the greater Dublin area. And I think that having different perspectives brought to the Cabinet table for decision-making tables is important.

"I don't think there's a need for new guidelines in relation to this, but I will lead a Government that will adhere to the public spending code, and will of course put a rationale and criteria in place in relation to our spending decisions."