Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is important to point out that all waiting lists are not the same. There are different waiting lists for different procedures, surgery, outpatient appointments, scans and other investigations. There are different waiting lists in different hospitals and for different consultants. Not all waiting lists are increasing; some are decreasing. For example, the waiting lists for physiotherapy and occupational therapy in the community are decreasing and there are very short wait times, if any, for palliative care. It is the case that the waiting lists for hospital-based investigations, procedures and appointments are rising. The figures for November which will be released tomorrow will show that they are rising and they will continue to rise for a number of months, not least because we have had to cancel so many elective surgeries this month. I agree that it is not a solution, but it is a necessary response to the overcrowding we are facing in emergency departments. We are doing three things. These involve transparency, greater efficiency around waiting lists such as adherence to chronological order, more new patients, fewer returns and other such things, and specific initiatives. Some 20,000 more day cases will be dealt with in 2015 as a result of the increase in the budget and there are specific initiatives in the case of scoliosis, endoscopy, ophthalmic services for children and orthodontics. We will see the impact of this but not until later in the year.

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