CHILDREN at risk of fertility issues or cancer because they were left waiting too long for surgeries have not been informed by the health service, CHI bosses admitted today.

It comes as politicians grilled Children’s Health Ireland execs over a series of scandals with one Senator telling officials: “If you were running Tayto Park I wouldn’t let my kids go there.”

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CHI’s new CEO Lucy Nugent started the Health Committee hearing today by making a litany of apologies for the series of scandals that have rocked the organisation.

These include children waiting too long for scoliosis surgeries, non-medical springs being implanted in kids and hundreds of children undergoing hip operations that they may not have needed.

The latest scandal to hit CHI comes from an internal report which outlines waiting list minsmanagement, serious cultural and governance failures along with bullying allegations.

Questions were also separately raised about children in need of surgery for undescended testes were left waiting too long which may have impacted their fertility.

CHI bosses said they did not know how many children may have been impacted by this urology issue and revealed that their parents were never contacted.

Sinn Fein’s David Cullinane said this was “extraordinary” while Senator Tom Clonan said it was a “systematic failure that amounted to the sterilisation of disabled people.”

The Independent Senator, whose own son faced delays with his spinal surgery, told the CHI bosses: “If you were running Tayto Park I wouldn’t let my children go there.”

A HSE official told the Committee that she had referred this internal CHI report to An Garda Siochana for investigation due to concerns of improper use of finances.

CHI told the Committee that they did not believe the report did not meet the threshold for criminality.

Fianna Fail TD Martin Daly – who has been a GP for 40 years – grilled CHI over the hip dysplasia scandal after a report found that hundreds of children may have undergone surgeries that they did not need.

‘ABSOLUTELY SCANDALOUS’

He also took on the issue of non-medical grade springs being implanted in children during scoliosis surgeries that later rusted and needed to be removed.

The doctor turned TD said it was “absolutely scandalous” and slammed CHI for trying to throw a surgeon at the centre of the scandal under the bus.

He said: “This is a whole system failure” as he questioned whether the current CHI leadership team were fit to take on the move to the new €2.5 billion children’s hospital.

He said: “It would be like having a top of the range hardware for your computer but the software is rotten – there is no other way to put it.”

He criticised former CEO Eilish Hardiman who has moved to a new position within CHI as she oversaw the health service during all these scandals.

He said: “Ms Hardiman you were there – it looks like under your regime you were rewarded for substandard management of the hospitals and I am saying that strongly because all of this happened under your watch.”

Fianna Fail Senator Teresa Costello repeatedly questioned Ms Hardiman on whether she should remain in her position and asked “Do you feel you’ve been held to account?”

Ms Hardiman claimed she was being accountable by answering the Committee and tried to pass the buck by claiming some of the scandals raised were “pre-Children’s Health Ireland.”

‘LEGACY ISSUES’

She replied: “I have been answerable to this committee and apologise for the failures. We have accepted the report in relation to HIQA.

“But I think we also have a particular speciality that is a particular focus but we have 38 other specialties that are working to international practice and international benchmarks in relation to their clinical outcomes.

“There is definitely I believe within CHI…some of the issues were pre-CHI. They are legacy issues.

“Some of the issues are definitely with the massive change we are trying to implement and we accept those and we in a process of trying to improve them.”

The Committee heard that the HSE will create a panel of experts to review all 2,200 children who had hip surgeries in Ireland in recent years to check up on their condition and establish if they needed the operation.

Fine Gael TD Brian Brennan told the Committee that this could amount to the biggest medical negligence case in the history of the State.

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CHARLIE CRESSWELL says England have nothing Tou-Louse and vowed to bring the pain to Spain and “smash” straight into them.

The Young Lions went down 2-1 to Germany on Wednesday in Slovakia to finish runners-up in Group B.

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Charlie Cresswell vowed to ‘smash’ into Spain on Saturday[/caption]

Shutterstock Editorial

The star says the Young Lions showed a lack of fight initially against Germany[/caption]

Lee Carsley’s side are now on a collision course with the much-fancied La Roja, the team they beat to win the U21 Euros in 2023, in Trnava on Saturday.

The boss revealed that he let his players have it as they trailed 2-0 to the Germans at the break but was pleased by the response as Alex Scott almost sparked a late rally.

And Cresswell, 22, insists that there won’t be a repeat of the “lack of fight” they started with when they go to battle with star-studded Spanish Armada.

The honest defender, who has starred for Toulouse in Ligue 1 since joining from Leeds last summer, said: “It wasn’t good enough from everyone, myself included, it was a collective thing. We just needed more fight, more determination. We can go press them high and get the ball back. We needed more of that and you saw that in the second half.”

On the content of Carsley’s dressing down, he continued: “Show some fight, you’re playing for England, let’s run harder than them, work harder than them. I was saying to the lads ‘just smash into them’, ‘I don’t know you’re there’ and ‘let them know they’re in a game’. 

“We showed that in the second half, but we’ve got to take that into the next game.

“You can’t give Germany that, otherwise look what they did. That’s the thing with European competitions, you get punished and you’ve got to be at your best game.”

Cresswell acknowledged that many will have England down as the underdogs.

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But he, along with Harvey Elliott, were part of the squad that toppled them in Georgia two years ago and he’s relishing another fierce battle.

He added: “We go into each game wanting to win. We respect every team. It’s going to be a different group from two years ago and they’ll be a good side and we’ve got to be at our game.

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Omari Hutchinson is targeting a 2-0 victory over the Spanish[/caption]

“Of course Spain are a top side. The first team as well, it runs through their system. You know when you play against Spain what they’re going to be like. They’re going to pass it around and try to make you move. But we’ve got to stand strong and take the game to them. “We’ve got quality in that dressing-room. We know we can beat them.

“Everyone has their weaknesses, you know. We’ve got to make sure we’re at our A game.

“It was good [in 2023], I know it got a bit fiery at some points and I’m pretty sure it’ll be a fiery game. I enjoy that stuff though.

I was saying to the lads ‘just smash into them’, ‘I don’t know you’re there’ and ‘let them know they’re in a game’. 

Charlie Cresswell

“I said to the lads, it doesn’t get better than this. You’re playing for England Under-21s, against Germany and next will be against Spain. It doesn’t get better than this. We’ll look back on this time and want to live this point again so it’s important we stay right here right now and enjoy every moment.”

Ipswich winger Omari Hutchinson, whose trickery produced the assist for Scott, added: “They’re very good on the ball, so we want to be dominant. We’re gonna have to try to take that away from them. We can be physically better than them. We’ve just got to physically outrun them and take them to the final whistle.

“Cars is big on that. He said last time they played each other it was a tough game. We just want to be able to dominate and win by two goals really.

“It’s my biggest game for England so I’m looking forward to it.”

A FAMILY breakfast at Disneyland has sparked widespread outrage after a dad shared a photo of his eye-watering receipt.

John Tolkien said he “almost spat out my coffee” when he received his family’s breakfast bill at the Disney Princess Breakfast Adventures experience in Anaheim, California.

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A family of five were in disbelief when they received their mega bill[/caption]

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The bill totalled almost $1000 for two adults and three kids[/caption]

Totalling almost $1000 for three children and two adults – including a $150 tip – the bill cost just over 20 per cent of the pre-tip cost.

John’s post left thousands in disbelief with many jumping online to share their shock.

“Please tell me you have 35 kids,” one person commented.

Another wrote, “That’s ridiculous. So torn about going to Disney — could literally go to Italy for a month for the same amount.”

The Disney Princess Breakfast Adventures costs $142 per person and is held at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa.

Guests can enjoy a three-course meal while interacting with Disney Princesses and according to the Disneyland website, the experience also features tiered appetizer towers.

Food options include lobster rolls, beignets, and cornbread.

Children can enjoy mains like waffles and macaroni and cheese, while adults can choose from scrambled eggs, braised short ribs, and deviled eggs.

Despite the hefty price tag, John admitted the overall experience was enjoyable, saying: “Service was attentive and enthusiastic.”

“Princesses were all trained pro-actresses and spent a lot of time with the kids. I enjoyed it,” he added.

The Disneyland saga comes as the firm’s granddaughter has slammed the entertainment giant for turning its legendary late founder into a “robotic grandpa”.

Disney is unveiling an animatronic Walt Disney to celebrate Disneyland California‘s 70th anniversary this July despite repeated pleas from his granddaughter Joanna Miller.

Joanna Miller told the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday that her beloved grandfather, who died in 1966, would have hated being turned into a talking mechanical replica.

“I think I started crying,” she said, recalling the moment she first saw the figure. “It didn’t look like him to me.”

Miller said she voiced her concerns early on, sending a letter to Disney CEO Bob Iger when the idea was first proposed.

She said she later met with Iger and the team responsible for creating the attraction, telling him: “I strongly feel the last two minutes with the robot will do much more harm than good to Grandpa’s legacy.

“They will remember the robot – and not the man.”

Despite Iger being “very kind” and despite his promises to protect her grandfather’s legacy, she said her request that they scrap the animatronic was ultimately ignored.

Miller added it “pains” her to call out the very company he created.

The icon’s granddaughter was speaking solely on behalf of her grandfather and mother, according to The LA Times.

CORONATION Street star Simon Gregson has revealed his new side-hustle, after his company’s £165k debt, and selling his home. 

Earlier this year, it was revealed that Simon was being investigated over the collapse of his production firm, which saw him owing £165,000 to the tax office and a bank.

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Coronation Street star Simon Gregson has revealed his new side-hustle, after his company’s £165k debt, and selling his home[/caption]

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Simon plays the role of Steve McDonald on the soap[/caption]

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Liquidators called in to break up Simon Gregson Productions Ltd filed a report on the soap star’s conduct to the Government[/caption]

Liquidators called in to break up Simon Gregson Productions Ltd filed a report on the soap star’s conduct to the Government.

They demanded repayment of £252,000 taken from the firm’s coffers and paid into a separate account controlled by the actor – and number crunchers working on the liquidation concluded in official papers there were no further avenues to go down to reclaim the actor’s debt.

The soap favourite faced losing his house over the closure of his company.

Now, Simon’s side-hustle has been revealed, with the soap favourite getting extra cash flow through Cameo. 

Cameo allows Simon to send personalised video messages to his fans, whether it be for a birthday or anniversary. 

And he’s charging £37.50-per-video on the platform, which says fans will: “Have the chance to customize your request for Simon Gregson, like asking them to mention inside jokes, share words of wisdom, or work in their signature catchphrases.” 

The website notes that Simon is available for 24hr delivery, and completed a video last night. 

As Simon bags a new side-hustle, his wife Emma has announced that she’s leaving the village tearooms she works at, named Morley Tearooms, in a shock statement, after two and a half years running it. 

Emma wrote on Facebook: “So, it’s true…. My time at the Tea rooms has unfortunately come to an end.

“I decided to leave due to the new lease not suiting my requirements. It was verbally agreed that I stay until the end of summer.”

But she’s since been told that she needs to leave “a lot sooner,” and will have her final trading day on June 29. 

She continued: “I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for the outpouring of love I’ve received over the last couple of days. It’s been extremely humbling and heartwarming to have the support from all of you, you have no idea what it has meant to me.

“I’ve started to take all of your details so I can take you all on my new adventure which will be bigger and better and just down the road. So this is not the end, and this certainly isn’t goodbye.

“I hope you’ll all follow me onto this next exciting project which I’ll update you all on soon. In the meantime, I hope to see you all in the next couple of weeks.”

Earlier this year, Simon was told he must sell his house if the missing £252,000 isn’t repaid to the company so his debts can be cleared.

The liquidators said the star has been told to repay the missing cash at £1,500 per month.

He’s been advised that after 36 months the balance must be paid from the sale of his house.

Documents said that to date £9,000 had been repaid.

MEN Media

As Simon bags a new side-hustle, his wife Emma has announced that she’s leaving the village tearooms she works at, named Morley Tearooms[/caption]

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Simon’s side-hustle has been revealed, with the soap favourite getting extra cash flow through Cameo[/caption]

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A CORONATION Street star turned millionaire bikini boss showed off the huge mansion she built herself.

Arianna Ajtar, 29, runs successful clothing brand Mars The Label, which had an eight figure turn over in 2022.

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Arianna Ajtar runs the successful Mars The Label clothing brand[/caption]

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She’s been sharing updates on her mansion building project[/caption]

instagram/@aahomeaccount

Arianna said she is “so happy how smoothly everything has gone”[/caption]

She played model Olivia Radfield on the long-running ITV soap in 2018 and 2019.

On Instagram, the actress shared photos of the impressive Dublin mansion build project she’s been tackling.

Arianna captioned: “A little home update… It feels SO surreal to say I have a home?!

“In just a few weeks, we’ve done the outside render, started to tile the bathrooms and wardrobes are all started.

“SO happy with how smoothly everything has gone so far.

“4 short months and I will be an Irish girly!”

One follower commented: “Beautiful… well done & well deserved. x”

Another added: “You really did that!!!!”

In February 2024, Arianna had shared an Instagram post revealing she was embarking on her “first ever build project”.

She launched her multi-million pound Mars The Label brand from her dad’s living room in 2015 with just £3,000, money her late mum had left her.

She created the designs herself and now has a huge team working alongside her from her headquarters in Bolton.

Arianna said previously: “We are now an eight figure annual turnover brand, which is honestly wild when you bring it all the way back to starting with less than £3,000 in my dad’s living room.

“We’ve come such a long way, and I’ve learnt so many lessons.

“I can’t even believe it myself to be honest. Sometimes I sit there and look at the sales on the website and can’t believe that genuinely it’s mine.”

Last month, Arianna went Instagram official with her boyfriend after teasing the relationship on social media.

He modelled some of the items from her range but she kept his identity a secret by cropping out his face.

She’s now posted a cosy photo with her other half on her Instagram story.

The snap showed him with one arm around her as she snaps a selfie.

Instagram

She went Instagram official with her boyfriend last month[/caption]

ITV

Arianna appeared in Coronation Street in 2018 and 2019[/caption]

A DESPERATE mum who says her two young kids are “constantly sick” due to extreme damp and persistent mould has demanded that her council condemn the property.

Katie Byrne, who lives in a maisonette in Sallynoggin, south Dublin, said her house has been left “completely empty” after she was forced to chuck out pots, clothes and furniture “destroyed” by the horrendous conditions.

The mum-of-two, who previously worked as a cleaner, scrubs the house daily, constantly opens windows to air the property out and even forked out cash for a tumble dryer – but the mould continues to creep through the home.

She told The Irish Sun: “I’ve been a great tenant. My house was stunning.

“But it’s completely empty now because of all the stuff that has been destroyed by the damp and the mould.

“My pots are mouldy. We had to throw stuff out. If you had to throw stuff out that you’ve brought in [the council] says they’re sorry.

“And this is the argument that I have with them on a daily basis. It’s very frustrating. And it’s very degrading.”

Katie told how both her health and the health of her five-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter has suffered greatly after years of living in damp conditions.

Her daughter has suffered from 14 perforated eardrums within the past two years – including three over the Easter break alone.

Katie’s son, who is currently being assessed for autism, is a chronic asthmatic.

The doting mum said: “My son was born into the house. I know for a fact that if we weren’t living in that house, he wouldn’t be asthmatic.”

Katie herself was recently admitted into hospital with double pneumonia, adding: “There’s costs to all of this.”

The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention says recent studies have suggested mould exposure could lead to the development of asthma in some children.

A number of reports outlining the conditions in the home have been made to Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

The HSE’s multi-disciplinary team working with Katie’s son wrote to the council, citing mould and damp, anti-social behaviour, fire safety concerns and rats as difficulties facing the family in their current home.

Katie added: “I have an anxiety disorder and I suffer terrible with depression and a report was sent down to the council. It was just put on my file, it wasn’t read or anything. 

“My son attends Le Chéile Mentoring in Dún Laoghaire and there was another report sent down for him, because he is the process of being assessed for autism. 

“My daughter’s school also said how much it has been impacting her education. But there’s still nothing [from the council], not even a phone call to say the paperwork has been acknowledged.”

Beds have had to be replaced. Sofas have had to be replaced. I’ve had to replace some of these things so my grandchildren have beds. Even plates have had to be replaced.”

Louise Byrne, Katie's mum

Katie said the conditions of the home are having a “huge impact” on her family, adding that she had to leave her job due to the amount of sick days she was forced to take for herself and the kids.

She told us: “It’s just a huge worry, and on my mother and my sister.

“They’re constantly coming up, they’re constantly asking me to come down and stay with them. Because it’s too much on us. And with the kids as well, there’s no room to play.

“They can’t have friends over. I’m too embarrassed to have anyone in my house.

“And I’ve tried everything, I’ve went to the papers, I’ve been on radio, I’ve been on RTE News and nothing’s coming back.

“They’ve openly admitted that they’re substandard houses.”

Katie added: “Our kids can’t fight. They’re on the edge. We have to fight for our children. I don’t care if I was left there on my own with my partner. But my kids are being affected by this.

“It’s constant crying to me, day in, day out. ‘Mam, this isn’t fair. Why can’t such and such have a sleepover tonight?’

“Because I don’t want them in my house. It’s mouldy. I don’t want to make another child sick.

“You just want a home. It’s impacting my mental health so badly.”

A solicitor who wanted to take the case on had gotten in contact with Katie and sent a private engineer down to her property in the hopes of bringing the issue to court.

But Katie said there has been “no contact whatsoever” since the the engineering report was sent down by the solicitor and served to the council.

Katie first moved into the then “freshly painted” pad on Pearse Street seven years ago, but the problem didn’t show up until around one year after she became a tenant.

She explained: “It started off in the big room down at the bottom of the room at the floor.

“And then we started to notice it in the hall. It was coming in around the doorway.

“It was in the kitchen presses then, there were mushrooms in the bathroom. It was just everywhere.”

Katie said there also issues when she’s boiling food.

‘NO ACCOUNTABILITY FROM COUNCIL’

She explained: “My kitchen is a scullery. Very, very small. The council put in an extractor fan. The extractor fan doesn’t work.

“So, when I’m cooking things that boil, the condensation runs down the walls into the plug sockets. A few months ago a plug socket blew on the wall and left scorch marks.

“And this was the reason why they brought up the extractor fan – but the extractor fan doesn’t work.”

Katie said there will be “long-lasting effects” of the conditions, adding that she’s worried – even if she does get moved by the council – that her two children or herself may have some sort of lung disease as a result of the mould.

She added: “There’s no accountability from the council. You’re getting passed from pillar to post all the time.

“If I ring Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Council I’ll be on to maintenance and they’ll say, ‘oh it’s not our issue, we’ll pass you on to allocation. It’s not our issue, we’ll pass you on to rent’.

“There’s no actual person that will sit down and talk to you and say, right Katie, this is the plan going forward.

“They won’t do anything about the situation of families living in the maisonette flats.”

PAYMENT PAIN

Katie has fallen into around €1,000 of rent arrears with the council and is paying extra back each week in an effort to catch up – adding that she has been told there will be no offer of alternative accommodation until she has paid it back.

But her worried mum blasted the council for not waiving the arrears, telling how Katie has spent thousands fighting the mould in her house.

Louise Byrne said: “It’s an ultimatum type of thing, which is ridiculous.

“She has got about a thousand euro or thereabouts in rent arrears and, where I’m coming from is she’s thrown more of that out because of the state of the house that she’s living in.

“Beds have had to be replaced. Sofas have had to be replaced. I’ve had to replace some of these things so my grandchildren have beds. Even plates have had to be replaced.

“I want those arrears waived because she wouldn’t even be in those arrears if she didn’t have to replace furniture.”

PROTEST ACTION

Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council said it is currently progressing a redevelopment plan for the affected properties.  

A spokesperson said: “Whilst we are at an early stage in this process, we are engaging with individual tenants where issues have arisen in their properties with a view to arranging transfers where necessary.

“Inspections have been carried out on properties and offers of alternative accommodation have been made to some of the tenants. 

“Discussions have also taken place with some tenants around the eligibility for transfer.”

Katie has not been offered alternative accommodation and, when asked, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council said offers are not made to tenants who are in arrears – no matter the circumstances.

A spokesperson said: “As per our Housing Allocations Scheme 2021, tenants with arrears are not eligible for transfer.”

The Community Action Tenants Union will hold a public meeting at the green on Pearse Park in Sallynoggin on June 28 at midday to plan a campaign to fight for better conditions in the area.

A protest planned by the CATU will take place on July 7 outside the Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council offices.

Katie has urged everyone in Sallynoggin and its surrounding areas to “come together” to demand for change and protest, adding: “The bigger the better”.