James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

It is very important to clarify immediately the correct information with regard to numbers waiting for procedures and the average waiting times. Waiting times have certainly not increased by 55%. I think the Deputy may have got confused between the increase in numbers waiting and the length of time patients are waiting. Between the end of December 2010 and 2012 the numbers waiting over 12 months fell by 80% for adults and 98% for children.

The correct figures for adults and children waiting for treatment in April 2011 was 24,179 and in November 2011 the figure was 26,832. This is an increase of 11% not 47%. The number of adults waiting for treatment was 21,851 in April 2011 and 24,403 in November 2011, an increase of 12% not 55%.

I have been absolutely clear that my priority for inpatient treatment is to deliver an equitable service within the resources available. For that reason, other than for cases of clinical urgency and cancer cases, I have introduced a strict policy of chronological management of inpatient waiting lists so those waiting longest are treated first. In July, I announced that no patient would wait longer than 12 months for treatment and that it was the responsibility of individual hospitals to meet this target. I am happy to say that all hospitals, bar two in Galway city, achieved this. We will now move to a nine months target by the end of this year.

I have also acknowledged from the outset that targeting those waiting longest would inevitably mean a modest increase in waiting times for some patients. This is inevitable because resources and capacity are limited. The median waiting times for April 2011 was 2.6 months, in November 2011 it was 2.7 months and in December 2011 it was 2.8 months. I would prefer if this could be avoided, but the average increase is a matter of days for many people, as opposed to years for some people.

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