Rose Conway-Walsh demands independent inquiry into paediatric spinal failures
Rose Conway-Walsh criticised failures in paediatric spinal care in Ireland and urged a statutory inquiry that must be fully independent, legally underpinned and able to compel cooperation. She credited families for forcing the government to act, condemned delayed scoliosis surgery that led to disability and death, and called for urgent protection and supports for children still alive.
Statutory inquiry demanded
The speaker said the statutory inquiry was won only because brave families and advocates forced action. She told the minister that families are taking the government in good faith but now deserve the truth, proper accountability and an inquiry free from the influence of chi and the hsc with real compellability and legal underpinning.
Broken promise on waiting times
She recalled a 2017 pledge by the minister that no child would wait more than four months for scoliosis surgery and said years of delays led to disability and, in some cases, death. She highlighted the case of Harvey Morrison Sherrish, who should have had surgery when needed, was removed from the surgical waiting list and treated as a palliative care patient without discussion or disclosure to his family, and offered condolences to his parents, Jillian and Stephen.
Families, constituency cases and accountability
The speaker thanked families for refusing to be silenced and noted constituency cases such as Mikey Henry Benson, thanking the minister for meeting them. She said the inquiry must move quickly to establish all facts, compel cooperation, deliver truth and rebuild trust in the system.
Urgency for children still alive
Beyond investigating past failures, she stressed the immediate need to keep children who have been neglected alive and to provide ancillary supports. She urged work with the minister to ensure urgent protections and coordination with disability services for affected families.
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from the outset let's just make it clear we've only reached this point of establishing a statutory inquiry into the failures in paediatric spinal care in ireland solely due to the brave families and advocates who have forced this government to act but i do want to acknowledge minister you have listened to the families now and the families are taking you in good faith that you will do what they are asking you to do it should never have taken years of campaigning and media appearances an unimaginable heartbreak to secure a statutory inquiry inquiry but these families refused to be silenced and now they deserve the truth and proper accountability to do these families justice this inquiry must be fully independent legally underpinned and completely free from influence of chi and the hsc and there must be compel ability there must be compel ability chi has resisted transparency for far too long only an inquiry with real powers that moves quickly compels cooperation and establishes all of the facts can deliver the truth and rebuild trust in the system now this inquiry stems from a broken promise in 2017 from simon harris when he pledged that no child would wait more than four months for scoliosis surgery for years of delays have led to disability for many children and for others like harvey morrison sherrish it cost them their lives harvey should have had the surgery when he needed it instead he and his family were failed again and again by a system that hid the truth the revelation that harvey was removed from the surgical waiting list and treated as a palliative care patient without any discussion or disclosure to his family is profoundly shocking no parents should ever learn after the fact that their child was effectively given up on the system and that was meant to given up by the system that was meant to protect them i again want to send my sincere condolences to harvey's mom and dad jillian and stephen i think we're all mindful as we come up to christmas how absolutely excruciatingly painful it must be for the family and for other families as well but shamefully harvey is not alone and in my own constituency you'll know uh of mikey henry benson and i do want to thank you minister for meeting them on monday as well and giving them much time and listening to what needs to be done because i want to make the point that while the inquiry will cover what has gone on in the past the scandal of what has gone on in the past we have to keep the children alive that are still alive today that absolutely have been neglected but they are alive and they must be kept alive at all costs and i know we will work with you to ensure that that is done but there is a real urgency around what needs to be done and other ancillary supports that are needed for these families need to be done as well combining with the disability services
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