Louise Burne: Harvey’s grieving family deserve better than parties going through the motions

Aontú's motion of no confidence in the Tánaiste, and the Government's own confidence motion designed to forestall it, achieve precisely zero for children with spinal issues

A photo of Harvey Morrison Sherratt taken by his mother, Gillian, in 2022 when 'Irish Examiner' health correspondent Niamh Griffin highlighted the child's case, writing that 'he is still waiting'. See link at foot of this page. 

Motions of confidence in Government ministers are usually highly charged affairs.

The Government rallies around their man, jumping down the throats of those who dare to question their minister or the Government.

There are barbs across the chamber, insults traded, and heckling between the Government and opposition benches. 

Surprisingly, there was very little of this during the Government’s motion of confidence in Simon Harris, designed to stave off Aontú.

Harvey Morrison Sherratt's parents Stephen Morrison and Gillian Sherratt at the Garden of Remembrance, Parnell Square, Dublin, during the  Justice For Harvey protest in August. Photo: Leah Farrell/Rolling News 

Perhaps this was because of the solemn reason Peadar Tóibín threatened to table a no-confidence motion in the first place.

Harvey Morrison Sherratt was just nine years old when he died in July. He left behind bereft parents, Gillian and Stephen, and a family who loved him. Unquestionably, scoliosis care in this country needs to be drastically improved. The system and waiting lists have left children in pain for too long.

TD scolds Aontú and Government  

Independent Ireland’s Cork North Central TD Ken O’Flynn accused both sides of pulling “political strokes”.

“There’s a child’s life involved in this,” he said. “[His parents] have requested that we have a multidisciplinary statutory inquiry. The Government has agreed to meet with that family, has engaged with that family over and over again.

This battering one another... does nothing to ensure that no other child will suffer what Harvey went through. 

"Only through the statutory inquiry, and only through getting it right, and only fixing it, and having a commitment left, right, and centre in this house, will we achieve something for that family and for the memory of that child.”

The Government wanted to have this debate this week for two reasons. The first is that it is not pleasant for someone to have a no-confidence motion hanging over them. 

The second is that did not want negative comments about its track record to dominate the discourse as people went to the polls in the presidential election. By having the motion of confidence this week, all the old debates were reignited. But it was nothing that the public does not already know.

Nine-year-old Harvey Morrison Sherratt died in July after a long battle with scoliosis and other health issues. Picture: Morrison Sherratt family 

Aontú was weighing up last night whether to table another motion of no confidence in the Government next week. Such a motion three days before an election may be a livelier affair.

Harvey deserved more than his name being involved in mudslinging across the Dáil. 

It’s time for the Government to make the situation with scoliosis care right once and for all in Harvey’s memory. It is the least his family deserve.