3560. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health whether she has approved or intends to approve a national plan to improve access to treatment for children with scoliosis and early-onset scoliosis; the actions contained within that plan; and the timeline for implementation of each action. [56898/26]

The Government understands the challenges families have faced in relation to paediatric spinal services and as a priority significant additional investment of €30m has been allocated to help tackle waiting lists. Several initiatives under way to improve spinal services including a ringfenced theatre, additional outpatient clinics, and national and international outsourcing to maximise capacity.

A central referral process commenced to ensure patients are seen in right location, by right consultants, and as timely as possible. Further improvements are underway including the onboarding of additional orthopaedic surgeons to create more capacity for spinal surgeons to undertake spinal surgery.

There has been a significant drop in waiting times for new outpatients from a weighted average of 7.9 months in June 2025 to 4.3 months in June 2026. We are also seeing improvements in waiting times for inpatient procedures. Long waiters are down, with only 3.7% of the waiting list over 12 months at the end of June 2026, compared to 5.3% in June 2025. Currently the weighted average wait time for a spinal procedure in CHI is 4.4 months.

The Paediatric Spinal Services Management Unit, led by a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, and supported by wider Multi-Disciplinary Teams, ensures patients are prioritised correctly for surgery and works to continue to reduce waiting times.

The investment and initiatives are driven by a clear focus on increasing capacity across the care pathway to build a more sustainable service that can continue to meet the levels of demand and meet the needs of children and their families.