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

On the NTPF, I do not know how many patients have been treated so far. There is €15 million allocated this year for the NTPF. I raised the matter with the Minister, Deputy Harris, on foot of my conversations with Deputy Martin. I understand that part of the fundamental problem was that the NTPF had effectively ceased to exist. Although it was still there in name and had a board and some very limited functions around collating waiting lists, it did not have the capacity to do the job it used to do. There is now a new CEO and it is intended that the NTPF should begin paying for patients to be treated in private hospitals as soon as possible. I hope Deputy Martin is right and that it will have an impact on the waiting lists.

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