Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Dealing with these issues is a priority for the Government. It is a priority for the Minister for Health, as every action he has taken supports that. This is shown by the budget that has been given for the health service, the new initiatives, the increase in the funding for the National Treatment Purchase Fund and the €1 million per week extra that will be spent on dealing with waiting lists, and the fact that the trend is downward.

There is much work to be done. Nobody questions that. I ask the Deputy to look at four hospitals with the lowest numbers on trolleys since 2006, Beaumont, Mayo, Cavan and Connolly. It is important to note this progress.

No doubt there is a huge challenge. Given the demographics, the fact people are living longer and the demand on the health services, and as we develop more primary care centres, of course, the demand continues in the hospitals. It is important to note that the home care packages, numbering 45 extra a week, will help deal with these issues because people will be able to get the services they need at home.

The truth in regard to waiting lists is that the latest NTPF figures show that the number of patients waiting for a procedure has fallen by over 2,000 in the past month and it is the third month in a row the inpatient day-case list has fallen. This is the category of patients who are actively waiting for treatment and these reductions have to be seen as real progress.

I accept the Deputy's point that more needs to be done - we cannot relax for one moment in regard to this because of the level of demand - but let us look at what is happening in the context of the trend being downward. There were significant decreases in October in both the 15-to-18 month waiting list, which was down over 1,000, and the over 18 months category, which was down over 1,000. For the second month in a row, there was also a decrease in the total number of patients waiting for an outpatient appointment with 788 fewer patients waiting for an outpatient appointment.

On the Deputy's point that patients were suspended because their doctors had decided they were unfit or unable to attend for clinical or personal social reasons, that is a reasonable thing to do because the people were not in a position to take up the appointments, and Deputy Kelleher himself asked for this.

The Minister has accepted the Deputy's broader point about the accuracy of waiting lists and how waiting lists in this country compare with those internationally. Trinity College is conducting a study on how waiting lists are compiled in this country and how it compares internationally and we will have that information at the beginning of next year.

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