Sinn Féin Leader Mary Lou McDonald has claimed discussions around experimental spinal surgeries at Temple Street Hospital took place as far back as 2020. 

Speaking in Leinster House today, Ms McDonald she used Dáil privilege to claim a letter that describes meeting held to discuss experimental spinal surgery with clinicians and a Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) representative in 2020. 

The HSE commissioned an external review into Temple Street following reports that one child died and 18 others suffered serious complications following spinal surgery there. 

Ms McDonald said clarity needs to be established as this letter “raises very serious questions for Children’s Health Ireland”. 

“This information is fundamental, I believe, to the drafting of any terms of reference,” she said. 

“These issues add weight to the call from parents and advocacy groups that CHI can have no hand act or part in drafting terms of reference and certainly cannot be the body to which any of these reviews report back to.” 

The Sinn Féin leader said it is “simply right” to establish whether any meetings discussing experimental surgical techniques took place and what advice was given. 

Temple Street Children's Hospital, Dublin. Image: George Carter / Alamy

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the claims in the letter need to be established before conclusions can be drawn. 

“It does indicate there was a level of knowledge management level about what was happening,” he said. 

He said the letter claims nurses, doctors and therapists were consulted on experimental surgeries. 

“It also claims, perhaps correctly or incorrectly, that the families or parents involved consented to what were essentially experimental procedures,” he said.