Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

I corrected the report of the €600 taxi fare on the day it appeared. Many inaccuracies have been reported in recent weeks, including one that somebody turned up for surgery and it was cancelled and another that we had changed the medical guidelines for assessing terminally ill patients. Both were untrue, as is this report.

When the treatment purchase fund arranges treatments for people, they proceed unless there is some medical or other reason they cannot, not a lack of funding. The fund got a budget for this year which I increased by 50% and it will spend that money this year. It arranges treatment with various hospitals, some 10% of which will be in public hospitals. The reason that 10% will be in public hospitals is that some of the surgery is very complex, particularly that relating to paediatrics. The facilities do not exist in private hospitals to have that treatment carried out. The figure was higher, but when I came to the Department of Health and Children I directed that no more than 10% of the treatment would take place in public hospitals because the idea is to provide treatment in spare capacity in the private sector for those that are waiting longest.

The figures for those waiting more than 12 months for treatment are down by 70%. Those waiting for six to 12 months are down by 50%. For some 17 of the top 20 surgical procedures, the waiting period is two to four months. This is huge progress.

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