Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will take the Deputy up on his offer. I do not want anyone to work in a silo. There is enough work to go around. Given the ageing demographic profile, demand for ophthalmological services will only increase. The report of the primary care eye service review group is a good body of work, with people working in the community and acute hospital settings coming together to draw up what was effectively a model of care. We have started to roll it out, albeit only in south, west and north Dublin, with the development of new primary care eye teams. I want to see the project rolled out. It will be my next challenge to deliver in the area of ophthalmology.

We have seen significant progress being made in dealing with inpatient day case cataract waiting lists. People were waiting for far too long and we will see more progress this year. The investment in the new Nenagh clinic will see activity ramped up as we increase staff numbers there. The clinic will see up to ten cases a week for the first 12 weeks and 30 cases a week for the remaining 12 weeks. In 2018 the service will carry out up to 500 cataract procedures. From next year, it could carry out 2,500 additional cataract procedures per annum. The level of activity proposed in Nenagh will not just meet demand in the mid-west, it will also provide additional capacity to support patients from counties Limerick, Laois, Kerry, Clare, Offaly, Kilkenny and Tipperary. There is much more we can do in dealing with this matter and I look forward to making progress on it.

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