Today, there is no celebration but there is a huge relief.
Relief that our beautiful daughter Róisin can now get the specialist care and therapy that she needs and deserves.
Relief that there has been an unambiguous admission of liability for negligence on the part of Róisin’s medical consultant, Dr Corristine, and Portlaoise Regional Hospital.
Relief that the inaccurate and misleading information about the circumstances surrounding her birth has now been brought into the open, albeit 12 years later.
The facts of the case, as determined by expert medical opinion after forensic work by our solicitors, are that Róisin suffered serious injuries at birth and those injuries were entirely avoidable.
It took nine years for these facts to come to light. We were distraught to hear this, particularly as it went completely counter to the assurances from our private consultant Dr Corristine that nothing could have been done to prevent these injuries and we were just unlucky. Even after legal proceedings were issued, more than two years elapsed before liability was admitted (five weeks before the trial date of today).
While we put literally everything we have into the care of Róisin, we have not been able to provide the level of care and therapy that the experts say would, over the course of 12 years, have significantly improved her condition and abilities.
While, as a family, we can look into our hearts and accept a mistake, what we cannot accept or forgive is the failure of an individual – in whom we placed our utmost trust – to follow Medical Council guidelines and give a full and accurate [account] of the circumstances surrounding Róisin’s birth, regardless of the hugely detrimental effect this had on our child. In our case, this meant compounding the injustice by denying Róisin a proper chance of amelioration and recovery.
Yes, the system failed once again and our solicitors will speak on the issue of candour but here an individual failed us and failed us badly.
We are left asking – where is the accountability?
Róisin is a happy, bright loving child who enjoys everything that any other 12-year-old girl likes – music, TV and getting pampered. She needs 24-hour care but she gives us back so much it just tears at our hearts to think what might have been for her.
This settlement won’t change this but it will at least give us the comfort that Róisin will be properly cared for, even beyond our own lifetimes.
We would like to thank our solicitors, Joice Carthy and Michael Boylan of Augustus Cullen Law, who fought so hard for Róisin and who held our hand with great sensitivity.”