Simon Harris was speaking after a meeting this week with the parents of Harvey Sherratt, who died in July after waiting years for surgery.

Harvey’s parents are to meet Jennifer Carroll MacNeill and Simon Harris at a meeting on Monday to discuss the terms of an independent inquiry into CHI’s handling of Harvey’s case.

The Taoiseach said there was not a ‘lever’ he could pull to ensure a child got spinal surgery, which he said was a ‘clinical matter’.

Last February, Harvey’s parents shared a video of Harvey struggling to breathe due to his complex health needs.