It was not possible to audit the use of millions of euros for child scoliosis services in the immediate weeks after it was allocated, the Tánaiste has said.
In 2022, the Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly allocated an additional €19 million to Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) with the main aim of reducing waiting lists for child orthopaedic surgeries, among other services.
However, it has since emerged that the funding was used more broadly by CHI.
Mr Donnelly allocated the funding as part of an ambition that no child would be waiting longer than four months for scoliosis surgery.
It came after a similar pledge in 2017 when his predecessor in the role Simon Harris, now Taoiseach, set the four-month target.
During Leaders’ Questions on Thursday, Sinn Féin finance spokesman Pearse Doherty said the promise had been “broken over and over again”.
On the allocation of the €19 million, Mr Doherty said: “Immediately, both parents and patient advocates had serious concerns that Children’s Health Ireland intended to spend this money differently from the purposes that was allocated to them.”
He said parents raised their concerns multiple times, including in March 2022 – within weeks of the funding being announced.
“Shockingly, it took until February of this year for the Minister for Health to order an audit.”
Mr Doherty added: “It is an absolute scandal. Where is the accountability?”
The Sinn Féin TD said children were being “forced to suffer in agony without any light at the end of the tunnel” as he accused the health minister of ignoring their pleas.
“These patients, these advocates, these parents reached out to Minister Donnelly and his office over and over and over and over again.
“They told him that this money wasn’t going to be spent on the promise that he gave them and their children. They pleaded with him to investigate this matter two years ago.”
Tánaiste Micheal Martin replied: “The Government’s commitment is to do everything we possibly can as quickly as we can to reduce waiting lists for children waiting for scoliosis operations.”
The Fianna Fáil leader said his party colleague “genuinely allocated” the money to reduce waiting lists.
However, Mr Martin acknowledged that it was clear that the majority of the additional resources was not ringfenced for its intended purpose.
He said that while the allocation of the €19 million had a reference for “other services”, it was primarily intended to be used for child spinal services.
“CHI informed the minister that this plan would by the end of 2022 reduce to zero the number of children waiting over four months.
“That’s what CHI said to the minister and the minister funded the plan on that basis.
“The investment did result in the increased number of surgeries performed. The reduction in the waiting list was modest and nowhere near what was promised at that stage.”
Mr Martin said that Mr Donnelly engaged with advocacy groups and surgeons in 2023, adding: “He didn’t ignore.”
He said the number of procedures had increased significantly since 2018, adding that approximately 70 children were currently waiting longer than four months: “And that’s not satisfactory – I acknowledge that.”
In response, Mr Doherty said he was not sure if the Tánaiste had “just listed out a list of incompetencies in terms of the Minister for Health”.
He said: “The Minister for Health was told by CHI, that ‘if you give us €19 million, nobody will wait for more than four months’.
“The minister gave them the money. Within weeks, the parents and the advocates were telling the minister’s office that this money isn’t going where it’s needed.
“They we’re begging them to investigate this.”
Mr Doherty added: “And when did the minister carry out an audit? He carries out an audit in 2024. Two years later.”
The Sinn Féin representative said families begged and pleaded with the Department to act.
“And he did nothing. Or if you did something, it was completely ineffective.
“Because two years later, you still don’t know where this money is gone.”
Mr Martin said: “An audit, by definition, happens after a particular program of action has taken place.
“You can’t audit something within three weeks of the money being allocated. That doesn’t make any sense.”
He added: “You can’t interrogate those issues without having a comprehensive audit in terms of facts. You can’t do that three weeks in.”
Mr Donnelly described the remarks from the Sinn Féin benches as “nonsense” and “totally disingenuous”, adding that he had met families many times.
