There were 648 cancelled spinal surgery operations in the last five years, according to new figures from Children's Health Ireland (CHI).
So far this year, 54 of these operations have been cancelled.
Among the reasons given for cancelling surgery are clinical decisions, bed/staff availability, the patient being medically unfit, manpower resources and personal reasons.
The information was secured by Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín under a Parliamentary Question.
Children's Health Ireland said its aim is to avoid cancellations where possible, but sometimes it is unavoidable.
It said that children may become unwell, emergencies take priority, or ICU beds may not be available.
CHI said it acknowledges that it can be very disappointing and stressful when a date is changed or cancelled, and that it is very disruptive for the families affected.
The breakdown of cancelled surgeries by year are:
2022 - 154
2023 - 126
2024 - 150
2025 - 164
2026 - 54 year to March
Latest figures show there were 205 children awaiting spinal surgery up to the end of April this year.
The total waiting list in April 2025 was 230 patients.
According to the latest figures for April, there were 43 children waiting up to three months; 29 waiting up to six months, 20 waiting six to nine months, 11 waiting nine to 12 months, three waiting 12 to 15 months and one child waiting 15 to 18 months.
There were also 51 children suspended from the list for clinical reasons, personal reasons, or they may have been confirmed to have the treatment at another hospital.
Uptake of treatment abroad remains low, and CHI said this is often due to family preference, or follow-up considerations.
Since 2024, 19 children have been treated abroad.
