Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)

I want to once again recognise Deputy Ó Murchú's work and commitment to this very important issue. I thank him again for raising it on behalf of his constituents.

It is important to recognise that significant investment has been allocated to both LCH and Drogheda hospital in recent years, which has uplifted capacity, staffing and bed numbers in each of the hospital sites. These two hospitals operate conjointly and provide a comprehensive suite of services for the people of Louth.

The Minister for Health acknowledges that many patients are still waiting too long for hospital appointments and treatments. The delay in treatments is of concern, and it is putting a burden on patients and their families. The waiting list action plan 2025 was published in February, representing this Government's continued commitment to reducing waiting times for patients and improving access to hospital care. With the multi-annual action plan approach, we are progressing towards the ultimate vision of a public healthcare service in which everyone has timely access to high-quality scheduled care where and when they need it. The Department of Health is engaging with the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund to develop the action plan for 2026, building on this progress delivered to date, renewing the focus on improving waiting times for patients and considering the learnings from the challenges that arose in 2025.

In relation to the post of clinical specialist radiographer, we all know recruitment processes can take time, but I wish to assure the Deputy that progress is being made in this regard. I acknowledge again his commitment to this. Most importantly, the Minister for Health is keen to emphasise that the HSE has confirmed there will be no disruption to patient care or service delivery. All clinical services will continue to operate as normal, ensuring that patients and service users experience no change in access, quality or continuity of care.

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