Professor Joyce O'Connor:

I do not have all of them. The reason I am hesitating is that those numbers can change. The real problem with these waiting lists is these could have been the waiting lists in July, whereas the waiting lists in September have changed and the numbers have changed. Therefore, these are not reliable. They are all to do with effective leadership in the CHO area, effective teams working together, a full complement of staff and recruitment. The point I was making was that addressing the waiting list is not the issue. It is addressing the system.

That brings me to the Deputy's third question, if I could take it, about the interdepartmental working group. As far as I know, that idea of a cross-departmental agency-NGO working group does not exist. It would be something new that would help focus and address the issues to which my colleagues have referred in a local area. Such a working group would operate on a national level with a mandate, and there would be a liaison person within each CHO area who would document all the services, look at the gaps, see what is needed, create a referral pathway for those who need mental health supports, and then, if necessary, patients could be referred on to mental health services. For example, if we were walking down Kildare Street today and I tripped, I would be sent to St. Vincent's or St. James's where I would see a triage nurse and maybe get an X-ray. I would not see a consultant orthopaedic surgeon unless I had broken my ankle. The problem is that the system is geared towards the specialist services rather than towards GPs. I am suggesting that each CHO area would have that liaison person.