Mayo teen Róisín Tansey receives €4 million settlement from CHI

Seventeen-year-old Róisín Tansey from Killasser, Swinford, has secured a €4 million settlement from Children's Health Ireland at Temple Street following a nine-year legal battle over her hospital care.

Róisín is confined to a wheelchair after suffering a spinal-cord injury at the age of three-and-a-half after a simple fall on a sofa at her home.

The High Court approved the settlement on Wednesday, which was reached without an admission of liability. The case was resolved through mediation.

Róisín was just three-and-a-half years old when she fell from an armchair at her home on January 11, 2013. 

After the fall, she complained of weakness in her arms and was taken to Mayo University Hospital before being transferred to Temple Street Hospital in the early hours of January 12.

READ MORE: Roisin Tansey to receive special award for courage

The legal action, brought through her mother Breda Tansey, alleged failures in promptly diagnosing and treating Róisín's condition after her arrival at Temple Street. The claims included alleged delays in carrying out an MRI scan and appropriate treatment. All claims were denied by the hospital.

In the words of Róisín, “Today marks the end of a long journey that has weighed heavily on my family and I for the past nine years. I am pleased that it’s at an end, and I can move on with my life in the knowledge that justice has been served. While there has been much focus on the course of these proceedings on what I have lost, I remain grateful for what I have, the support of my family and friends, I am also deeply grateful to my legal team for their dedication and perseverance with which they handled this case. While I am tremendously relieved and grateful that this ordeal is now over, in reality, it changes little."

"Tomorrow morning, the same challenges await me that I faced the day before. Today’s settlement gives me back nothing of what I lost, nor of what my family lost, when this happened to me. But it is my sincere hope that the pursuit of justice in this case may prevent a similar outcome befalling someone else in the future. Unburdened by today’s ruling, I intend to make the best of my blessings and continue to embrace life with ambition, determination and hope. Thank you”.

Speaking to The Mayo News, Róisín's solicitor David O'Malley welcomed the resolution of the case through mediation. "Hard cases very often don't make for good law," he said.

He acknowledged the cooperation of the State Claims Agency in facilitating the mediation process and encouraged the use of alternative dispute resolution in complex healthcare cases wherever possible.

O'Malley also called on the Government to swiftly implement the Civil Reform Bill 2025 to expedite complex cases and reduce trauma for all parties involved.

In a personal note about his client, the Ballina-based solicitor added: "Roisin is a wonderful person and I hope it enriches her life. With her wit and brevity I can see her in the Four Courts representing others in the future."

READ MORE: Tóchar Phádraig Walk for Róisín Tansey Fund

Róisín, who has appeared on RTÉ's The Late Late Show on multiple occasions, has become known for her positive outlook and artistic talents. Despite being paralysed from the neck down, she has become an accomplished mouth painter and has received recognition for her courage, including a Child of Courage Award in 2018.