I respectfully ask the Taoiseach to do something urgently for Liam Dennehy Quinn of Crohane, Killarney, who is 13 years old. He is waiting for a scoliosis operation in Crumlin children's hospital and is in terrible pain. The curvature of his spine has worsened so much that he will now need two surgeries rather than one. The curvature has gone from 35° to 92°. I will give the Taoiseach the picture and the story before I leave here. I will put it on the Taoiseach's desk. Liam has terrible reflux and has difficulty eating. He is in danger of malnutrition because he cannot take food. He has not been able to go to school since last December. He also needs a medical night nurse but this has not been scheduled yet. It will not prevent the pain but would be of great help to his mother, Pamela.

Thank you. The time is up.

Just one second. This child is in terrible pain and he needs to have the procedure scheduled without delay. There is his father, Stephen, his mother, Pamela, and his grandmother, Mary Dennehy, whose brother has worked for me for more than 40 years. This is very close to me and to my home because they are practically family.

Thank you. We will ask the Taoiseach for a response.

I am asking the Taoiseach to deal with this urgently. As Taoiseach of Ireland, I respectfully ask him to do that.

I thank the Deputy for writing to me on this matter this morning, and I thank Deputy Michael Healy-Rae. As I said, I have asked the Minister for Health to specifically seek an update on Liam's situation from the health service and I will come back to the Deputy via the Minister for Health. We will also follow up specifically in regard to the night nursing hours. I thank the Deputy for raising this. It must be a very distressing situation.