Mary Lou McDonald accuses Taoiseach of 'faux concern' for kids at ...
It comes as it was revealed earlier this year that children in need of spinal surgeries were not prioritised new equipment bought with the €19m scoliosis fund
MARY Lou McDonald has accused Taoiseach Simon Harris of "faux concern" for children amid plans to set up saving accounts for newborn babies while many kids wait for spinal operations.
Fine Gael's election manifesto outlined plans for a saving fund to be set up by the Government in the child's name.
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The Acorn plan would see a €1,000 sum placed into the account automatically set up when a baby is born.
And in the proposal, children from disadvantaged backgrounds could receive €1,500.
However Sinn Fein's Mary Lou McDonald blasted the plan on RTE's Upfront with Katie Hannon leaders' debate tonight as children "wait in agony" for spinal operations.
Mary Lou McDonald said: "I am just astonished to hear Simon Harris talk about a savings fund for infants not yet born.
"When we live in a country that there are four and a half thousand children who are homeless, where we live in a state where children in agony with scoliosis that you promised would not wait longer than four months, wait and wait in agony, some of them to the extent that they became inoperable.
The Sinn Fein Leader added: "I think this faux concern for the future of children needs to be called out. We need action now."
However, Simon Harris defended the new savings plan for newborns saying there is "no faux concern".
He clapped back: "How dare you? How dare you accuse anyone of faux concern for children?
"Who do you think you are that you have some monopoly on compassion? There's no faux concern.
"I don't know any member of Dail Eireann in any political party or any candidate running for Dail Eireann who has faux concern for children."
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly grilled over scoliosis surgery waiting lists
It comes as it was revealed earlier this year that children in need of spinal surgeries were not prioritised new equipment bought with the €19m scoliosis fund.
In 2022, Children's Health Ireland bosses told Health Minister Stephen Donnelly that they could improve services by the end of the year to ensure that no child would have to wait more than four months for spinal surgeries.
On the back of this, Minister Donnelly allocated the €19 million fund to improve spinal and orthopaedic services and reduce wait times.
There are still 118 children ready for surgery with no date for their operations, with two waiting three years.
Our Kids Can't Wait Campaign
WAITING lists in Ireland have long been a national disgrace.
More than 106,000 children are on hospital waiting lists for all treatments. However, a new source of shame has emerged as 327 children wait for life changing spinal surgeries.
Their conditions are getting worse while they languish on waiting lists.
Such are the delays, many child patients will be outside the therapeutic window when their treatments are approved.
Earlier this month, the Seanad heard how at least one child has become permanently paralysed since the issue was raised publicly before Christmas.
Their plight has been spearheaded by campaigning Senator Tom Clonan, who himself has a child with a disability.
Former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has even admitted that the health service is failing these kids.
Children are being allowed to deteriorate due to mismanagement, which has allowed the waiting lists to grow.
The Irish Sun’s Kids Can’t Wait campaign aims to shine a light on how the State is failing sick children and give their families a voice.
It will also force the Government to do something to clear the backlog of operations and give these children a chance of living a normal life.
And last week families of children waiting for surgeries warned political parties "don’t dare make any promises that you can’t keep.”
Families affected urged leaders last week to fix nightmare disability services and recruit enough surgeons so children do not have to be sent overseas for their operations.
Liam Dennehy Quinn, 13, from Co Kerry, successfully got scoliosis surgery earlier this year after his case was raised in the Dail on several occasions thanks to a campaign by his family.
But mum Pamela told The Irish Sun the family have faced a “nightmare” in fighting for therapies and equipment since he returned home from hospital.
She goes in and out of Liam’s school to change him as there is no sling available in the school — and told how her boy only got a wheelchair last week despite having his surgery in June.
Pamela said: “I seen Simon Harris’ ad campaign and part of it is about young children and people with disabilities.
“Anything to do with disability services whether it’s autism, Down syndrome, all of these children that have needs — it is an absolute s**t show.
“You have physios and occupational therapists who are wrapped up in paper work and it is leaving them with no time to do actual therapy.
"There is zero aftercare. You are out that door and it is goodbye. You’re on your own.
“I do not have a political stand on parties but when you have a politician that is going to come out and say those things — stand over them. Don’t use empty words to get a seat.”
Harvey Sherratt was waiting more than two years for scoliosis surgery before he was removed from the wait list without his parents’ knowledge.
The eight-year-old’s story has been raised several times in the Dail and he is now again waiting for surgery having gone through pre-op checks successfully.
Dad Stephen Morrison believes the coalition Government failed children with scoliosis over the last five years — and he is warning politicians not to make pledges that they won’t keep.
He said: “I would say to them don’t dare make any promises that you can’t keep.
"I think Fianna Fail and Fine Gael have failed a lot of different sections of society over the last five years.
“And from the scoliosis perspective we’ve been failed over and over again.”
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