Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his question. The 2022 waiting list plan is part of a multi-annual approach to reduce waiting times. Most importantly, it focuses in the first instance on long waiters to meet the Sláintecare targets.

We now have three-year waiting list plans. A great deal of effort was made on waiting lists in the last quarter of 2021, which resulted in a reduction of 5% in the lists. It was a successful activity. That effort transferred into the €350 million waiting list plan for this year, which mainly focuses on hospital waiting lists. It also focuses on, and makes an investment in, community waiting lists. Under the budget, a significant allocation has been made for next year.

The most important message is that, despite the challenges of Covid, including Omicron, the plan is working. I will cite a few examples. The number of patients waiting more than a year for an outpatient appointment has fallen by nearly 25% in the year to date, which is a large decrease. The number of patients waiting more than 12 months for an outpatient appointment has fallen by nearly 40% of the Covid peak in March 2021 and the number waiting more than six months for a procedure has fallen by a third since September 2020. A great deal of progress is being made and more is being provided for in next year's budget.

Regarding a multi-annual plan, something that we are addressing is recurrent funding. Much of this year's funding was one-off funding. Through the 2023 budget, we have allocated approximately €125 million to recurrent funding. One of the permanent changes that are being made is being led by Dr. Colm Henry and involves approximately 30 initiatives to accelerate specific patient pathways.

See this speech in context