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models of care but what we do not have is delivery. The national model of care clearly states that every model 3 hospital should have a dedicated neurology service. The programme for Government commits to improving neurological care. Yet in the midlands, people are being left behind. Added … absence of that coherent national strategy is becoming increasingly difficult for the Government to justify. It is not simply about staffing numbers and waiting lists. This should and must be about equity. A person's access to neurological care should not depend on their address and their ability

timely access to high-quality scheduled care where and when they need it. I refer to the waiting time action plan for 2026. This used to be the waiting list action plan, until we all realised together that the length of time spent waiting is more important than … planned care, including targeting increases in the proportion of patients waiting within Sláintecare maximum waiting times and outpatient and inpatient day-case waiting lists. Those targets represent steps towards our ultimate shared goal of all patients being seen or treated within the Sláintecare target times, namely, ten weeks

members of the hospital network, the HSE or CHI. It has been apparent since Deputy Carroll MacNeill became Minister for Health that she is actively driving multiple efforts to address the challenges that have been ongoing in relation to paediatric spinal surgery waiting lists. I know from conversations

national children's hospital right now - more inequality literally being built into the system even though private care in public hospitals is meant to be expiring. I will ask again whether the Minister agrees that this report needs to be published. People have the right to see these … horrific effect of having private for-profit healthcare happening within our health system. What it means is worse health outcomes, longer times on waiting lists - sometimes in agony - and having poor outcomes at the end of it for kids whose parents do not have the money to have

routine referrals carry waiting times of approximately 18 months. Some children in my constituency whose parents have been in contact with my office were referred in 2023 and remain on the list. In the interim, families are advised to contact the clinic in University Hospital Waterford if concerns

there are waiting lists of nearly 1 million people for treatment, and why, for example, we do not have enough public health nurses now to do important developmental checks on young infants. This is all because the Government is preventing health areas and hospitals from being able

complex needs. Many hospitals already have well-developed neurological services, but funding received in 2025 is enabling the delivery of phase 1 of the hub and spoke model. It is expected that this proposed hub and spoke model will enable a reduction in waiting lists and timely access

very long waiting lists for children. As we all know, regardless of what health issue it is, early intervention is key. I will raise with the Minister again the prescribing element of it, because the more services we can move away from the acute hospital setting and into

critical of one of its consultants. That report found the consultant earned more than €35,000 by keeping very young children on a waiting list for years. They were eventually treated using the NTPF when they were transferred to the consultant's weekend clinic, but they could have … detected by clinical oversight. They came to light because of whistleblowers and a random review. Even when potential fraud and abuse of waiting lists were detected, the wagons were circled. The HSE, the Department of Health, the National Treatment Purchase Fund and the Medical Council were never notified

across our hospitals and across our communities, and how we can then replicate that, but doing so with our healthcare professionals and with our workers. As a Government, we will continue to invest in our healthcare system and we will continue to ensure our waiting lists are reducing

speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, psychologists and so on. That never happened. Of course, what has happened is that people are waiting, waiting and waiting. Parents are taking the State to court. I have a concern that is what is holding back the Government on this … realise that potential because we do not have the capacity. What happens is that it is a postcode lottery, patients go on a waiting list, and they may or may not get the home care supports that they need. That is not what should be in place. That

waiting lists. The Deputy and I are not in any sort of disagreement here. We need to invest more in the community. We need these services to be available in the community. That also means applying the outpatient toolkit, once we are finished with the acute hospitals

Ireland are living with a neurological condition and it is now the leading cause of disability worldwide. Yet, despite the growing demand, Mullingar hospital still does not have a dedicated service. The second fact is that the Neurological Alliance report specifically highlights concerns that Mullingar remains dependent … third fact is that demand has outstripped capacity. The Neurological Alliance briefing note says that more than 160 people are currently on a waiting list for neurology services in Mullingar alone. The fourth fact, which we know from various other areas outside health, is that regional inequality

entitled to and deserve within their home in future years if the Government is serious about moving care out of our acute hospital system and into the community. I also have a concern about what I see as the growing marketisation of the home care sector … this country, including Cork, Kerry and parts of Limerick. Some 900 people are waiting for home care support in Cork and Kerry alone. Some 4,945 people are on a waiting list, as of June of last year. That is a huge amount of unmet need. The cost

progress has been made in dental care in recent years but for instance, in the dental hospital in Cork, there are 91 chairs and that number of people are working at any one time, learning the skills required to practice as dentists. Our problem with dental services … dentists per 100,000 people. Germany and Italy have double that number per 100,000. More than 104,000 children are on waiting lists for school screening and there has been a 31% reduction in the number of dentists in the HSE. We have a major challenge because

cannot find a GP who will accept new patients. One practice in a small town in my constituency has a waiting list of 200 people and that list is currently closed. We have seen rapid population growth, particularly in north Wexford, the Gorey-Courtown corridor and parts … should not be happening. It is crazy. As a result, hospital accident and emergency departments are being used as a stopgap. It is unsafe, unsustainable and places even greater pressure on emergency staff, contributing to longer waiting times. Private patients currently have no mechanism for GP assignment through

country. I met with a family in Cork the other day. They had to pay €1,900 because the dental hospital turned them away as it was a weekend. They were lucky enough to be able to get credit and money from the credit union … despite having a medical card. I meet parents every day of the week whose children are on six-year waiting lists for orthodontist services. Most of them have gone off those lists because what happens when they hit 16, 17 or 18 years of age, and still have

because of the overcrowding in the accident and emergency department. They were waiting to see if they could deliver their patients to the hospital. They could not and had to stay there. There was no ambulance available in Monaghan, Cavan, Louth or Meath for the whole night … waiting list, for the waiting list is the business model of these insourcing businesses. The Minister is going to have to get to grips with this issue. We cannot have that conflict of interest where a consultant operating on a public list is scheduling and creating rotas

across our health system. Even with that occurring, we have had a 12% reduction in patients on waiting lists exceeding 12 months and a reduction in the average waiting time from 7.2 months to 6.5 months, and that is against a backdrop of a 9% increase in outpatients … increase in inpatient and day case attendances. I regret whenever there are cancelled appointments for anyone across our hospital system but we are staffing and resourcing our public health in an unprecedented

failed, as did the Government. Resources were committed and treatment abroad was started but then it stopped with no explanation and the waiting lists continued to grow. Then we had the former health Minister, Stephen Donnelly. More investment was announced, treatment abroad started again and we were told … speak today, there are still more than 50 children waiting longer than four months and a total of 137 children are waiting for a date for their surgery. In fact, 18 of them are waiting more than a year just for a date. The Minister mentioned capacity. There

annual leave and no replacements for resignations or staff leaving for other employment. This has resulted in significant waiting lists across the county. Hundreds of people are waiting for the service and many clients are approved for the service but it cannot be provided because of the lack … staff. There is no cover or reduced cover for vulnerable patients. This is also holding up the discharge of patients from our hospitals. Will the Tánaiste intervene with the HSE to launch a significant recruitment campaign across south Tipperary to urgently address this situation

absolute scandal that we have nine beds empty in Áras Mhic Dara in Carraroe tonight while 12 people are on a waiting list waiting to get the healthcare they need from the áras. There had been promises on this from the Government previously. We now need … together to try to resolve this immediately. While we are having this debate here tonight, there are 73 people on trolleys in University Hospital Galway. That is 73 people who are unwell and need care. They are getting that care but they do not have beds

transforming children's healthcare. We are going to be responsible for making sure that parents who slept on cold, hard floors in Crumlin hospital last night can have bed facilities. We are going to be responsible for children having single ensuite rooms. We are going to be responsible … that will have more theatres than ever before, will have open spaces for our children, will have improved medical outcomes and will tackle waiting lists. Nobody gets everything right in politics. Many lessons have been learned. Before the Deputy asks me what that means, I will tell

thank the Deputy for her question. I will be bringing the second iteration of the waiting list action plan to Cabinet this week. The first iteration brought waiting times down from an average of 13 months to seven. We have further to go in order to reach … Sláintecare targets. As I said to Deputy Bacik, there are two issues here. One is about moving people out of the general hospital system to surgical hubs, the first of which will open this week, and dealing with waiting times. The other relates to weekends. In the context

Mental Health Commission has reported that each year an estimated 51,000 people access mental health services for the first time through a hospital emergency department. That should not be the case. There should be a dedicated fully staffed place where people experiencing mental health difficulties … have not had significant investment in years. Donegal is suffering and is facing a significant mental health crisis characterised by long waiting lists, rising demands and overstretched services, compounded by the defective concrete crisis currently going on and the mental health crisis that is causing. I have raised

McGuinness asked the Minister for Health the steps that will be taken to address the growing waiting lists for treatments at the rheumatology outpatient department at Cork University Hospital, as the staff are restricted in the services they can provide due to a lack of designated space

designated space could be provided to the rheumatology outpatient department at Cork University Hospital in the hospital itself or in another location to deal with the growing waiting list, to ensure adequate facilities are in place for MDT consultations, patient education and administrative work; to enhance the efficiency

Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health if Tullamore Hospital is currently prevented for outsourcing work to clear the orthopaedic waiting list, which holds 297 people; if, as a result, patients are prevented from using available services, such as the National Treatment Purchase Fund, to have surgeries

aware of resourcing issues at the endometriosis clinic in Tallaght Hospital and that the hospital now only include women with stage 4 endometriosis to its waiting list and no longer include women with stage 3 endrometiosis to its waiting list; and if she will make a statement

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether a national standard exists requiring hospitals to inform patients in writing whether they are on an outpatient waiting list or an inpatient/day-case surgical waiting list; and if so, to provide a copy of that standard. [44097/26

Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Health if there are plans in place to reduce the current waiting list (details supplied) to attend the ophthalmology outpatient's department of University Hospital Waterford; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15063/25

Minister for Health the steps being taken to reduce wait times for blood testing appointments at Beaumont Hospital; if it is possible to provide auxiliary capacity to reduce the waiting lists; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11211/25

Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health if she is aware of the long waiting lists for dermatology patients in the north west, serviced by Sligo University Hospital and Letterkenny University Hospital; and when the necessary number of consultants and their support teams will be allocated

Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on the waiting list to see a consultant respiratory medicine based at St Vincent's University Hospital. [15437/26

Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Health the waiting lists and average waiting times for each type of cancer treatment at the University Hospital Galway cancer centre; and the compliance rate with key performance indicators and standards in this area, in tabular form

care assistants in the Clonmel and south Tipperary area; the immediate measures being taken to address the waiting lists for home support services for older persons and those requiring post-hospital care.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54927/25

Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Health to provide waiting lists and times for ten-day emergency oncology appointments at the Mater Hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34883/25

payment made to consultants for carrying out appointments, procedures or surgeries on weekends as part of waiting list initiatives at CHI from 2010 to date, broken down by year, by hospital and by amount earned, by consultants in each year in bands (details supplied); and if she will

Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on the kidney transplant waiting list resident in Cork and Kerry; the number of haemodialysis stations at Cork University Hospital; the number of patients receiving haemodialysis there; and the number awaiting a dialysis place, in tabular

Minister for Health the total expenditure on agency staffing associated with scheduled care, elective activity and Waiting List Action Plan delivery for each year from 2021 to 2026, broken down by hospital group and Health Region. [36317/26

Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health if urgent investment will be made to improve waiting lists and bed accommodation numbers/availability and accident and emergency overcrowding and waiting times at University Hospital Kerry, by providing for additional medical staff at all levels there; and if he will make

Minister for Health the number of patients awaiting elective surgery at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, broken down by specialty and waiting time bands; the measures being taken to reduce these waiting lists; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52249/26

Health the number of patients currently awaiting elective surgery at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, broken down by specialty and waiting time bands; the measures being taken to reduce these waiting lists; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50311/26

Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the process and criteria used by public hospitals in selecting consultants to carry out insourcing of care at weekends, blitzes, or other waiting list initiatives; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29702/25

Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on wait lists at the supra-regional endometriosis specialist centres in Tallaght and Cork University Maternity Hospital and five regional endometriosis hubs in the Rotunda, the Coombe Hospital, the National Maternity Hospital, University Hospital Limerick

Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any comparative analysis has been undertaken between hospitals or regions regarding the cost-effectiveness of additional sessions or agency-supported waiting-list initiatives since 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42514/26

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on the waiting list to see a consultant oral and maxillo-facial surgeon at South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital. [25978/26

from 1 January to 31 December, broken down by specialist areas in St. James's Hospital (details supplied); if the patients treated via an insourcing procedure were on a validated active waiting list waiting in all cases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12746/26

from 1 January to 31 December, broken down by specialist areas in Beaumont Hospital (details supplied); if the patients treated via an insourcing procedure were on a validated active waiting list waiting in all cases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12747/26

from 1 January to 31 December, broken down by specialist areas in The Mater Hospital (details supplied); if the patients treated via an insourcing procedure were on a validated active waiting list waiting in all cases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12748/26