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Dáil
‹ An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business

Police Ombudsman report and child surgery funding

Summary

The Taoiseach responds at length to the ombudsman reports, describing them as deeply concerning and rejecting any amnesty. Deputy Healy-Rae then returns to the delayed funding for children's surgeries, asking who received the money and why families still wait.

On the reports from the Police Ombudsman in Northern Ireland, the most recent report is indeed very significant and deeply concerning and is the second such report in a matter of weeks. It examined eight loyalist paramilitary attacks in south Belfast between 1990 and 1998, which resulted in 11 murders and one attempted murder. The report has found strong evidence of investigative and intelligence failures, collusive behaviours by the RUC, including the continued unjustified use of informants involved in serious criminality and murder, and the return of weapons to loyalist paramilitaries. The report is, quite simply, appalling.

Last week I met with a number of victims and survivors groups from across the community in Northern Ireland. I met with Mark Sykes, who is a survivor of the Sean Graham bookmakers massacre attack. I was very grateful to him for taking the time to talk to me on the 30th anniversary of that shooting. It was very emotional for Mr. Sykes, and it was as clear to him 30 years on as it was on the day it happened.

I do not have an issue with the House debating these issues in a structured way. It will not be possible this week. We have the Business Committee and it was anticipated this report was coming. There are now three Private Members' motion opportunities for the Opposition every week. I remember a couple of years ago back in 2015 there was only one opportunity. Now there are three opportunities per week. We are also a legislative Chamber and we do need to get legislation through. We need to balance it. While it will not be possible this week to do it, I have no issue with the Whips arranging at some future date to discuss this issue in a structured way.

On Children's Health Ireland, the €5 million went from the Health Service Executive to Children's Health Ireland for expenditure in the paediatric hospitals and in Cappagh hospital for further measures on top of other measures already taken to get waiting lists down for those children with spina bifida, scoliosis and a range of orthopaedic-----

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It is not working.

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It was only sent-----

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They have the beds but they do not have the money. There is an issue. They are not getting the money. Some of these are waiting two years or more.

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The money has been allocated. It is not a money issue.

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Who did the Government give it to?

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Could I also say-----

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We want it made public as to who got the money.

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Children's Health Ireland got the money. The Deputy can contact it or seek to meet with it through the Oireachtas Committee on Health, or by whatever means. The Deputy can meet it.

It will go through all of that with the Deputy. There is no issue.

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That is the issue.

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The process will be fully transparent. There is an issue with the length of time, and we need to reduce that.

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Some are waiting two years or more, and that is not good enough.

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There is nobody going around with the money in their hip pocket.

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Well, someone has it. The doctors and the surgeons-----

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