Mr. Connor Green:

I do not accept that. The unacceptably high wait times were there before either of these events. They have made it worse but they were there beforehand. Nothing was in control before the pandemic. Nothing was in control before the cyberattack. I have said to the people - I have issued a letter to my waiting list - that I do not want that put on the letters because it is dishonest.

One thing that people need to be is honest with families. One should not tell them we will solve this next year. It will not be solved next year. That is impossible. You will not recruit the number of surgeons. You will not build the infrastructure. You will not put the support in the communities. We are rolling out progressive disability services across Ireland at present and there is so much happening. Let families know not to be hanging on week to week.