Albert Dolan (Galway East, Fianna Fail)

It is phenomenal to hear that the NTPF provided almost 500,000 treatments in the year alone. That is an incredible number. It is an incredible benefit to the people who are waiting on these waiting lists. When I think about consultants and the money they are earning, consultants deserve to be paid great amounts because they provide immense value. They should be compensated for incredible performance. Where consultants can clear a waiting list, they absolutely should be paid for that but my fear is that the NTPF could be incentivising consultants to delay. Does Ms Brady believe that consultants are incentivised to leave people on their waiting lists so that they get transferred to a NTPF list where they could subsequently benefit from same?