Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The first line of the health section in the programme for Government refers to access to timely care, which is laughable in a context of waiting lists exceeding 680,000. In my constituency of Mayo, we are in the bizarre position that children cannot even get on to the waiting list for children's physiotherapy services itself. We have 662 children who quality for paediatric physiotherapy, of whom 270 are currently getting services, with waiting times of up to 137 weeks for treatment. I am quoting from the response I received on this. There are 392 children wait-listed due to staffing deficits while a further 97 children cannot even get onto the waiting list. I was told that any capacity available on the part of the remaining 2.8 whole-time equivalent staff is devoted to those caseloads left open by vacancies and that it is not possible to estimate waiting times for new referrals. We have the bizarre situation that we do not even have a waiting time for 97 children in one county. If we cannot even get to grips with the waiting lists we have, what are the Taoiseach's plans and those of his Minister for Health to deal with those children who cannot even get on to a waiting list?

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