The Tánaiste has “empathy” and is “full of compassion”, a Fine Gael minister stated while defending Simon Harris as calls for his resignation continue, reports Breaking News.
Enterprise Minister Peter Burke voiced his support for the party leader following a march in Dublin where more than 1,000 people showed solidarity with the family of a young boy who died after enduring prolonged delays for scoliosis surgery.
Nine-year-old Harvey Morrison, who had both scoliosis and spina bifida, passed away on July 29th, reports Breaking News.
His parents, Gillian Sherratt and Stephen Morrison, shared that Harvey spent years waiting for spinal surgery, during which time the curve in his spine worsened from 75 to 130 degrees.
When Harvey finally underwent spinal surgery last December, the curvature had progressed to a stage where it could no longer be fully corrected, reports Breaking News.
The spinal curve had caused his rib cage to twist around his lungs and heart, placing immense strain on his ability to breathe.
In response, campaigners, opposition leaders, and Harvey’s family have demanded that Mr Harris — Tánaiste and former health minister — resign, citing his 2017 promise that no child would wait more than four months for scoliosis surgery.
Over the weekend, Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, also from Fine Gael, addressed the demonstration and remarked: “There are many ways our society can and should do better by its citizens. We can, we must and we will do better. This is the essence of politics and always will be,” reports Breaking News.
Her comment attracted media attention, sparking speculation that she may have been subtly criticising Mr Harris.
Asked whether he supported his party leader in the wake of the comments, Mr Burke told reporters on Monday: “Absolutely I support the Tánaiste but first of all, we have to be very much aware that we have a family grieving here. I know as a father of two young children, it would be incomprehensible to lose one of them and to see what the family are going through now – Stephen and Geraldine – it is incredible, how fair they’ve been, I have to say. And I really give them my support too. It is, you know, one area we have to get better at resolving,” reports Breaking News.
Mr Burke added: “I think the Tanaiste is full of compassion, full of empathy. He’s a dad too, he’s a husband. He knows the pressures that families are under and he wants to do better. I want to do better, and the government wants to do better in this area – and quite frankly, we have to.” And a lot of resources have been put in, clinically led, into the HSE in this area that we haven’t seen the results from.. We really need to see more progress now, and that’s one thing we’ll be really focused on as a Government,” reports Breaking News.
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