It was regrettable that the operation planned for a two-year-old Limerick girl at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin, Dublin, had had to be cancelled earlier this week, the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, said yesterday.
The child, who had a complex congenital heart problem, died within 24 hours of the operation being cancelled.
Mr Martin said it was regrettable that any child's operation should be cancelled. He would not be happy until no child had to wait for heart surgery.
Speaking to the media in Dublin, the Minister described the death of Róisín Ruddle as a tragic event. "We have to be conscious that a family are in deep grief today. We feel for the family today," Mr Martin said.
He expected a comprehensive report from the Eastern Regional Health Authority on the case within the next 48 hours. The report would be made public.
The hospital said on Tuesday that a shortage of intensive care nurses had led to the child's operation being postponed for a number of days, and the girl was sent home on Monday, where she died early on Tuesday.
Mr Martin said there had been "intensive recruitment" of nurses during the last number of years. "But, that said, I think there are a number of issues pertaining to this that we have to go in to," he added.
In recent times there had been a significant reduction in the waiting list for cardiac surgery. "However, until we have the full complement of staff and until we have all the new operating theatres that we have invested in fully operational, there could be continuing difficulties."
Mr Martin said it was not acceptable that every day several children did not have access to intensive care beds at Crumlin.
"Obviously we would want the maximum staff in place for intensive care nursing . . . It's a difficult field to attract people into . . . As was pointed out this morning by the surgeon, there was no expectation that this would happen."