Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The figures are quite alarming. The Minister made great play of the fact that an outpatient waiting list is now being compiled for the first time in the history of the State. However, some 384,000 people are waiting for a first-time appointment as an outpatient at a consultants' clinic. Approximately 100,000 have been on the waiting list for more than a year, with 23,000 waiting for between two and three years. Another 7,750 have been waiting for between three and four years, with almost 7,700 waiting for four years or more.

The most alarming issue is the regional disparity among those waiting to see a consultant for an outpatient appointment. For example, in the mid-west large numbers of people have been waiting for a protracted period for their first outpatient appointment. What is the reason for the regional disparity? Clearly, at this stage, this must have come to light.

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