Further calls for Simon Harris to resign after death of child with scoliosis
The Meath West TD is calling for Mr Harris to resign following the death of scoliosis patient Harvey Morrison Sherratt, who died at the end of July.
Harvey, aged nine, received spinal surgery for scoliosis last December, by which point his spine had reached a curvature of 130 degrees.
He had waited several years for surgery and became a focus of media and political campaigns which focused on a pledge in 2017 by then-health minister Mr Harris that no child will be waiting longer than four months for their scoliosis surgery in Ireland.
In the wake of Harvey's death, his parents Gillian and Stephen have called for Mr Harris to resign.
Mr Tóibín told reporters at Leinster House on Wednesday that although he has not spoken to Harvey's parents, he was joining in their call for the Tánaiste to resign. He said Aontú will not have an option to put down a motion of no confidence until October and vowed to do so if another party has not tabled one before then.
Mr Tóibín stated that he had asked Mr Harris to meet Harvey's parents last September. 'We have to have accountability in this country, and this is the most serious thing that can happen to a citizen,' he said.
'What is the threshold for accountability if we don't have accountability? In relation to this, I've sent a letter to the Cathaoirleach of the health committee, asking for the Cathaoirleach to call on the Tánaiste to appear before the health committee to answer questions.
'The key element in all of this is, actually, we have to learn in relation to what's going wrong so that this doesn't happen to other children. I've also called on the Tánaiste to do the honourable thing and to resign.'
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