Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is difficult to be reassured by the Minister's response. According to the statistics from August, 1,001 patients had been waiting for 18 months or longer in Tallaght. By September, that number had risen to 1,215, an increase of 21%. In August in Naas, just 12 people had been waiting for 18 months or longer. By September, that number had risen to 41, an increase of 241%. Why is this happening on the Minister's watch? In particular, why are there problems with urology, orthopaedics and dermatology in Tallaght hospital? Is it a staffing issue? Have we an inadequate number of specialists in place to deal with demand at these hospitals? Has the Minister identified where the problem lies and what will he do about it?

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