Dr. Ciaran Byrne:

There are just over 18,000 on the waiting list at present. In the year to date, we have received just shy of 12,000 applications. Last year, we had total numbers in and around 9,000. The figure we are working on at the moment is 18,000.

We have increased the capacity on the contractor panel. Last year, as I think we all accept and which we mentioned in March, was an extraordinary year in terms of the climate, the cost-of-living crisis and the energy crisis and we saw a significant increase in applications to the panel.