It is extraordinary that the Health Minister has opted to remain overseas while this crisis is escalating
Social Democrats Health Spokesperson Róisín Shortall has written to the Health Committee requesting that representatives of Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) and the HSE attend an emergency meeting of the Committee tomorrow.
Deputy Shortall said:
“Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has refused to cut his trip to New York short and return to provide details to the Dáil about the scandal at Temple Street Hospital. It is extraordinary that the Health Minister has opted to remain overseas while this crisis is escalating.
“When I raised this matter in the Dáil today, Enterprise Minister Simon Coveney stated that the Government want CHI to publish the two reports – one internal and one external – that have already been conducted into this scandal. CHI must now publish those reports without delay today.
“Members of the Oireachtas Health Committee must also have an opportunity to question representatives of CHI and the HSE about this scandal. We cannot wait until next week for this to happen, with a drip feed of information filling the vacuum in the interim.
“For that reason, I have written to the Health Committee and asked that representatives of CHI and the HSE are written to and invited to an emergency meeting of the Committee tomorrow. I would ask that my colleagues on the Committee support this proposal.
“We need transparency and accountability – and, the least we should expect is for those managing our health service to answer questions about appalling failures of governance and care for vulnerable children requiring complex spinal surgeries.”
September 20, 2023