Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This target has not been met once in the past two years. While the Minister has correctly said that the number is 567, the response he gave, which was prepared by someone in the HSE, is a celebration of all that is not happening. The number increased from 73 in February to 123 in March to 182 in April to 297 in May to 353 in June to 437 in July and to 567, as the Minister rightly said, at the end of August. That is an almost eightfold increase in six months. Despite the great many people who are being seen and the great work those in the hospital are doing, the 18-month target has been an abject failure. Instead of a reduction, there has been an eightfold increase. There are specialties in particular that stick out. In neurology, there were 28 people waiting 18 months ago and in February and now there are 192. In the context of ear, nose and throat procedures, there was one person waiting six months ago and there are now 224.

The trend is not just upwards, it is out of control and accelerating, and we are doing nothing about it. What is the Minister going to do? He mentioned the NTPF. Are we going to expand the restoration of the latter to address outpatient procedures?

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