John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There are two elements that I wish to put to the Minister. Will the steps the Minister is taking address the backlog or just stop the problem getting worse? It is worth reflecting for a moment that in January 2016, there were only 117 children waiting more than 18 months for that outpatient appointment. That figure was almost 3,300, 12 months later. It is very significant.

The Minister has said that the hospitals need to work together and I acknowledge that. However, the increase has been seen across all areas in all three hospitals. The figures are staggering and it is staggering to see what has happened in one 12-month cycle.

Let us reflect for a moment on the fact that the 3,300 children who went on waiting lists in July 2015 remain on the lists today. In the same month the Minister's predecessor indicated that no one would be waiting for more than 18 months. This has occurred radically and rapidly in the past 12 months. The Minister intends to publish a plan. Will he set specific deadlines to reduce the numbers over time incrementally? The rate at which the change has occurred in 2017 is extraordinary.

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