I wish to raise with the Tánaiste the ongoing scandal of children with scoliosis being left on surgery waiting lists. The four-month target has been missed for 88 children who are in dire need of an operation, some of whom have been waiting more than three years. Those children live in agony and are unable to live a full life. Their parents are frustrated and exhausted from battling the system. They are worn out fighting for access for their children to vital medical treatment and life-changing surgery, which is a battle they should not have to fight.

Those who watched the "RTÉ Investigates" programme entitled "Living on the List" did so in horror and grief. It provided a harrowing insight into the daily struggles faced by these children and their families. The Tánaiste may recall that in the aftermath of the programme, the Minister for Health offered apologies and made promises. Those promises have been broken for 88 children, whose days from when they get up until they go to bed are filled with extreme pain and discomfort. I cannot imagine what it must be like for a child to endure that suffering. It is hard to imagine what it is like for the families of those children to watch as the phoney war, which we have seen again this afternoon between the Taoiseach or the Tánaiste and Deputy Micheál Martin is played out. The meaningless, egotistical jousting between the Taoiseach and Deputy Micheál Martin is not new. Rather, it is a feature of the relationship between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil since they partnered up following the 2016 general election. Of course, Fianna Fáil seeks to mask its support for a Fine Gael-led Government------

The one from which Sinn Féin ran away.

Sinn Féin ran away from government.

------and Fine Gael policies and budgets by picking sham fights. It keeps the Government in power while faking outrage over the results of the disastrous policies it helped to implement.

Sinn Féin has also faked outrage.

It is incredible that the leaders of the government arrangement choose to focus their energies on these tiffs rather than the serious issues that need to be addressed, none of which are more serious than the issue I raise today with the Tánaiste. People do not want to see self-indulgent fisticuffs over who is the biggest boy in the schoolyard.

What about girls?

People want solutions. The Taoiseach and Teachta Micheál Martin need to cop themselves on and focus attention on the 88 children who are desperately in need of surgery. What does the Tánaiste say to the children who await this surgery and their parents? When will those 88 children have their operations?

Many Deputies have dealt with children, parents and families who are impacted by scoliosis. We are aware of the pressures involved and the need for early intervention, given how scoliosis develops. There is much stress, frustration and anger among many parents. That is why the Government and the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, have prioritised this area for rapid progress. As more than 420 children have been treated this year compared with just over 200 two years ago, we have more than doubled the delivery in terms of operations. There is a plan in place which involves increased theatre time and the allocation of new consultants, who are being appointed. We are not yet where we need to be but we are investing heavily and have a plan in place specifically to target scoliosis because of the nature of the condition and the stress it causes in order that families and children can get the treatment they need within the target set by the Minister, Deputy Harris.

On the other commentary, unlike Deputy McDonald's party, at least Fianna Fáil engaged at a time when the country needed a government and when her party showed no interest whatsoever in providing the kind of stability that has delivered in many areas in the past two years. The rate of unemployment is at 5.1% today. Seven years ago, that figure was over 15%. Stable government, when it works, delivers and while Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil will have their differences, I am sure they are parties that have worked together in the national interest and have delivered significantly in the past two years. When the Deputy is asking people to cop themselves on, she might reflect on that.

The Tánaiste and his friends in Fianna Fáil have provided the type of stability that means children grow up in bed and breakfasts and hotels and an entire generation of people have given up on any aspiration to owning their own home or even having a stable and assured roof over their heads. That is some kind of stability.

Why did Sinn Féin vote against the affordable housing motion? It voted with Fine Gael to vote down the affordable housing motion.

The progress he brags about has left 88 children still in need of surgery. Some of them are waiting much longer than four months but all of them have seen the promise of a maximum wait of four months blown to smithereens and not realised. What has the Tánaiste to say to the parents of those 88 children and when will those 88 children be seen to? A straight answer to those questions might bring us somewhere close to the reality that these families do not want rhetoric, statistics or long lists of the Government's perceived virtues. The Tánaiste is aware that self-praise is no praise. These 88 children and families want to know when they will be cared for and when they will get the services they need and to which they are entitled. I would like a straight answer to that question if the Tánaiste can give it.

I refer to the activity figures for the week of 6 June in Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin, where many of these operations and spinal fusions take place. The hospital expects to carry out 196 spinal fusions and 251 other spinal procedures this year and activity figures for the week ending 6 June indicate that so far this year, 69 spinal fusions and 113 other spinal procedures have taken place. Waiting lists show there are 167 patients on the active waiting lists for spinal surgery of whom 102 have been waiting longer than four months. That is against a May target of 68. The Health Service Executive, HSE, advise that patients waiting over four months for surgery are reviewed weekly regarding their treatment plans. In addition, and in line with the scoliosis access plan 2018, the children's hospital group will prioritise inpatient access in 2018 to include outsourcing of an estimated 51 patients to achieve a four-month waiting time for clinically deemed treatments. We are making progress. It is as simple as that.