Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The programme for Government clearly has a line committing to tackle waiting lists. However, as we all know, waiting lists are not declining although there may be small progress in some areas, mainly because of this side of the House's insistence on the national treatment purchase fund being allocated extra money. I will give another example today of what is happening, in relation to a lady for whom I am trying to make representations. She is ten years suffering from gall stones. She has tried to progress the matter over the last three years, and recently was given an appointment for Portiuncula hospital, but this week was subsequently issued an appointment for an ultrasound for April 2019. This is totally unacceptable and it beggars belief that three years on she is still being told that she must wait a further six months for a simple ultrasound. This woman is in chronic pain and desperately needs to have the matter progressed. This is happening over and over again. There is a total failure in the health system. In a budget of €15 billion why is this type of thing happening? This woman is in desperate pain and what is happening is totally unacceptable.

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