Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has called on Tánaiste Simon Harris to meet with the parents of a boy who died last month and who had been subject to delays in accessing urgent scoliosis surgery.
Nine-year-old Harvey Morrison Sherratt from Clondalkin in Dublin died on 29 July.
Harvey had spina bifida and scoliosis. Harvey's mother said last week that they did not currently have a cause of death.
Last year, Harvey’s parents Gillian Sherratt and Stephen Morrison, said that Harvey had been removed from a Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) waiting list for urgent scoliosis surgery without their consent or knowledge.
Harvey received spinal surgery in November last year after being first placed on the waiting list in February 2022.
A spokesperson for Mr Harris said that when Harvey's case was raised first with the Tánaiste, his office immediately contacted the Department of Health and the HSE and asked for immediate clinical attention.
"The Tánaiste expresses his deepest condolences to the family, as he did when he was asked about this matter on Monday," the spokesperson said.
"When this issue was brought to his attention during his time as Taoiseach, his overriding focus was making sure that the proper clinical interventions and consultations were made available.
"He was informed an additional clinical assessment did then take place and surgery was subsequently scheduled."
He added that Mr Harris expects and "has been assured" that the Department of Health, the HSE and CHI will be available to support and engage with the family.
Life 'put on hold'
Harvey’s parents said that Harvey was met with a serious lack of timely care throughout his life and that most of his life was "put on hold" while he waited for a surgery date.
They said that spinal surgery delays continue to mean children are missing out on large parts of their childhood.
In a statement, they said: "During Harvey’s painfully short life he was met with a serious lack of timely care.
"Despite promises from Government, Simon Harris in particular, the delays for children with scoliosis and complex orthopaedic needs continue to be absolutely unacceptable.
"These delays mean children are missing out on large parts of their childhood.
"In Harvey’s case I truly feel most of his life was put on hold for the years he waited for a surgery date and proper intervention.
"We repeatedly called on Simon Harris and Government to help, for them to get to the bottom of the issues within CHI but those requests fell on deaf ears.
"Harvey lost his life on 29 July, only eight months after he finally got his spinal surgery.
"He missed his last two Christmases at home due to his scoliosis and now he won’t get another one."
Harvey's parents 'fought tirelessly'
In a letter to the Tánaiste, Mary Lou McDonald wrote that Harvey had spent over three years on a waiting list "during which his spinal curve caused his rib cage to twist around his lungs and heart, severely restricting his breathing".
Ms McDonald said Harvey’s parents "fought tirelessly" to have him returned to the active waiting list with Harvey eventually undergoing the first of two spinal operations.
"He eventually underwent the first of two spinal operations, but it was very late. The improvement was remarkable - his breathing improved, and he began eating solid food for the first time in six years.
"However, by the time these operations took place, the curvature of his spine was so severe that the outcome was tragically limited compared to what could have been achieved had timely intervention been provided, as per your own stated four-month target," Ms McDonald said.
The Leader of the Opposition said the Tánaiste had assured her in the Dáil that he would meet with Harvey’s parents to discuss his situation in light of the delays in receiving urgent treatment.
Gillian Sherratt said no meeting took place with Mr Harris.
In her letter, Ms McDonald urged Mr Harris to meet Harvey’s parents to "explain face-to-face" to them why he "broke his important promise".
A spokesperson for Mr Harris said the Tánaiste expresses his deepest condolences to the family.
"When Harvey's case was raised first with the Tánaiste, his office immediately contacted the Department of Health and the HSE - and asked for immediate clinical attention.
"As the Tánaiste stated on Monday, when this issue was brought to his attention during his time as Taoiseach, his overriding focus was making sure that the proper clinical interventions and consultations were made available.
"He was informed an additional clinical assessment did then take place and surgery was subsequently scheduled.
"He expects and has been assured that the Department of Health, the HSE and CHI will be available to support and engage with the family," the spokesperson said.
In comments in the Dáil in September last year, Mr Harris said he and his team had "reached out" to Harvey’s parents and were happy to be in contact with them regarding Harvey’s treatment.
Speaking at a press conference outside Government Buildings yesterday, Mr Harris said he contacted the Department of Health and CHI immediately upon learning of Harvey’s situation.
"Firstly, I want to extend, in a very sincere way, my deepest sympathies to the family of Harvey and I don't wish to say anything to cut across their grief," he said.
"When this issue was brought to my attention during my time as Taoiseach, I remember being very concerned about making sure that proper clinical interventions and consultations were made available.
"And when Harvey's case was brought to my attention, I immediately contacted the Department of Health and CHI and sought additional clinical consultations, which I believe did take place.
"I was always of the view that it was very important that any medical interventions were, of course, clinician-led."
Harvey’s parents said they are pushing for both the Government and CHI to be held to account, and called for a vote of no confidence to be called in Simon Harris.
"We have had enough of this government and CHI allowing our children to be failed and we are now pushing to have them held to account for their part in the failings.
"We feel the Dáil needs to be recalled for a vote of no confidence in Simon Harris, there needs to be a full public enquiry into CHI spina bifida and complex orthopaedic care, and the current board of CHI needs to go before the opening of the new children’s hospital," they said in a statement.
Campaigners have called for a full public inquiry into spina bifida and scoliosis care at CHI.
Earlier this year, Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said the country is "nowhere near" where it needs to be in providing timely and comprehensive medical interventions for children with scoliosis.
There were 231 children on CHI spinal surgery waiting lists by the end of July 2025.
A total of 131 of these were on the active list and were waiting for a date for surgery, 15 had been assigned a date and 31 required a further procedure following an initial check up.
Some 54 patients were suspended from waiting lists due to clinical reasons, personal reasons, or because they are confirmed to have their surgery in another hospital under a CHI initiative.
Of those on the active waiting list, 38 patients have been waiting for more than six months with eight patients waiting over one year for surgery.
In a statement, CHI said it cannot comment on individual cases.
It said the waiting list for spinal surgery "is constantly changing, as children and young people have their surgeries and come off the list, new patients are added. Important progress is being made every month".
It added: "Parents are routinely involved in their child's care, and many are given options for surgical versus non surgical care, depending on the clinical complexity of the child.
"The spinal surgery management unit has implemented initiatives which have reduced the waiting time for outpatient appointments by 40%.
"We acknowledge that waiting times for children are still too long, and we continue to work to reduce the length of time that patients are waiting for appointments."
