Order of Business
The Chair opens with a time limit for questions. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald raises scoliosis surgery waiting-list figures and criticises the Taoiseach’s approach to Israel and Russia; the Taoiseach disputes her numbers and says he will check both issues. Interjections follow from Deputies McDonald and Mac Lochlainn.
Earlier, I cited the number of 327 children on waiting lists for scoliosis-related surgery. The Taoiseach challenged me on that matter. I wish to put the correct figure on the record of the Dáil, which is, in fact, 333. I had underestimated. This is published data from Children's Health Ireland from 19 February.
The Taoiseach lost no time in summoning the Russian ambassador to Ireland to correctly express outrage at the death of Alexei Navalny and call for an independent investigation into his death. It is lost on no one that the same approach has not been adopted in respect of the Israeli ambassador to Ireland. Israel has broken every rule in the book and breached every law, repeatedly and in plain sight. There are 30,000 dead in Palestine and thousands of children suffering from disease, starving and living under the threat of continued bombardment and death. As of yet, however, the Israeli ambassador has not been summoned to go to Iveagh House. Can I ask why?
Comment on this
I will have to inquire about that. My understanding is that the Israeli ambassador has been summoned to Iveagh House. She certainly met with the Minister and Secretary General in some location about these matters. I will follow up on that.
I will also follow up on the numbers with regard to the waiting list. The numbers I have here are from the Department of Health. I believe them to be correct and Deputy McDonald's to be wrong. That publication might be incorrect or out of date, but we will clarify that.
