Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I can certainly ask. That would be quite a departure for the NTPF. The NTPF has been expanding its remit in any event. It has targeted long waiters and inpatient day case hospital lists and has now targeted people who are not waiting that long at all. In more and more high-volume procedures, it is now beginning to contact people who have been waiting for just 12 weeks and is organising care for them. We are expanding into outpatients, which it traditionally stayed away from, as well as other areas. I will certainly raise the issue with the NTPF.

It is a question for the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, and for the Minister for State, Deputy Rabbitte, rather than me because it falls within disability services. If they want to have the conversation with the NTPF, I would see no reason they could not. In the first instance, I would need to refer to them and the Minister for State, Deputy Rabbitte, has line responsibility obviously for that.