It is almost a decade since the Tánaiste first promised to reduce waiting times for children with scoliosis. I have lost count of the number of times his Governments have made and repeatedly broken promises. According to Children's Health Ireland, CHI, 149 children with scoliosis or spina bifida have been waiting six months or more for surgery, with 117 of those waiting for more than a year. The Minister for Health has said that the promise will again be broken this year. This means that those children will be facing another Christmas living in agony, waking up in the middle of the night because they are in so much pain or left in tears because they cannot do what other children their age, including their friends, can do. No child should be waiting in such an awful situation. No child should be waiting for an operation that can change his or her life. These children and their families need a straight answer. I will ask a question on their behalf. Has the €19 million in additional funding that was announced this year been spent and, if not, why not?

I do not know if it has all been spent yet, but I will make inquiries with the Department of Health and get the exact figures for the Deputy. It may be the case that it has not all been spent yet.

I appreciate that far too many children are waiting far too long for the spinal surgeries they need, but I will point out that, since January, the waiting list for spinal fusions has decreased by 44% for those waiting more than 12 months and by 24% for those waiting more than four months. The waiting list, therefore, is coming down.