At Taoiseach’s Questions today Aontú Leader and Meath West TD Peadar Tóibín has labelled the Taoiseach’s ‘We didn’t know’ response to the decision that took Harvey Sharratt off the Scoliosis waiting list as not credible. An Teachta Tóibín stated:
“Taoiseach it is 420 days since I first raised the case of Harvey Morrison Sherrat in this chamber with Simon Harris. I asked him why had Harvey been removed from the waiting list, without his parent’s knowledge.
Minister Harris told me that he would find out the information with the Health Minister and HSE immediately.
Incredibly, after 420 days, that question has yet to be answered. How can it take 420 days for the Tanaiste and the Minister for Health to find out that information.
We learned from the Sunday Times that this information, as why Harvey may have been taken of the waiting list, was given to eth Department. This information was contained in a Protected Disclosure that was submitted to the Department of Health.
The information contained is catastrophic. The implication in the PD is that someone or a group made a decision that was not medically based that led to Harvey’s death.
What the government is asking us to believe is, that the Tánaiste has spent 420 days trying to find out why Harvey was removed from the waiting list and could not get to the truth while at the same time that information was given to the Dept of Health. Has anyone even asked the relevant staff over the last 420 days? What has the Tánaiste and the Minister for Health being doing? Does the government understand the import of what has happened here.
