Ms Paula Kelly:

We can come back with the details of the actual plans. However, clinically we have to acknowledge that some of these scoliosis cases can only be done in Crumlin and in Temple Street. That is the reality of it, and that is what the plan is going forward into the new children's hospital.

The plan for paediatrics is for Galway, Limerick and Cork to be the regional units. When we talk about the west and Galway, that is the Saolta Group at the moment. We also have an all-island approach to paediatric healthcare. We are already demonstrating that with some of the sickest babies, the cardiac surgery babies. We are engaging and certainly have planned the new hospital to look at how can it work on an all-island basis, because of that helps with the Border regions.

What we would like to identify, with Cork, Limerick and Galway as the regional units, is the roll out of that regionally-supported way of working. That is part of what they want, and part of what we want as well.

I am happy to come back with details of how we can demonstrate in detail the 200 patients who are on the list at the moment and the details of the timing of when we anticipate the increased infrastructure so that it is more manageable. We will never be at zero; that is not our intention. Our intention, as we outlined, is to shorten the waiting lists and ensure people are not waiting more than six months. That is our objective, and that is keeping with the policy around Sláintecare. Obviously, it is subject to investment, but that is the commitment we are giving here and the assurance I would like to give to the families and children and to our clinicians who really just want to come in and treat patients.