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

Waiting lists are checked every month or two months and are validated every three months. As a result of the modest increase in the budget for 2015, capacity and workload at Cappagh Hospital will increase and more procedures will be carried out there. Of course, demand is also increasing. It is my hope and expectation that - on foot of the expanded budget - activity will increase faster than demand. However, I cannot say that this will happen for certain and we will not know the exact position until later in the year. While what I have outlined will allow the hospital to open four operating theatres every day, there is still unused capacity there. If I had additional moneys available - I do not - we would be able to do even more. Like every other country, Ireland is obliged to operate its health service within budget.

One of the advantages for Cappagh Hospital is that it does not have an accident and emergency department and is not, therefore, obliged to restrict surgery when surges occur. This must be borne in mind when discussing the reconfiguration of accident and emergency departments at hospitals throughout the country. More elective work can be done at hospitals which are not obliged to deal with unpredictable surges at accident and emergency departments.

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