Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I take very seriously the points made by the Deputy. It is very serious for people awaiting these procedures and people are waiting too long. This is why we need a concerted effort to tackle waiting lists and why all of us in this House need to work together in the Estimates process to make sure we adequately resource our health service and the NTPF, as well as our hospitals, to address these issues.

I will specifically raise with the hospital group CEO the issue the Deputy raises in regard to the unused theatres and the consultant posts, and I will pass on his comments in that regard. I reiterate that I have asked every single hospital to put in place an action plan for waiting lists. I have asked what they are going to do in their individual hospital between now and the end of this year to get on top of waiting lists. We cannot have a situation where the Oireachtas last Thursday voted through an additional €500 million for the health service yet we see waiting lists continuing to rise. We need to make sure that when the money leaves the gates of Dáil Éireann, it is spent absolutely in the interests of patients and on some of the other very important issues the Deputy has highlighted.

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