Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

This Topical Issue arises from an ongoing situation in the Louth County Hospital in Dundalk. The ultrasound waiting lists have grown to around 7,000 at the moment. This fits into the parliamentary question Deputy Cullinane got an answer to. That was that we have waiting lists across the State in relation to diagnostic scans of 299,736, of which there are 10,000 children who are on the Children Health Ireland's, CHI, waiting lists. In my own general area, which is the Dublin and North-East health region, we have 58,665 and 7,000 in relation to ultrasounds.

This is an issue that I have brought up. The job for the clinical specialist sonographer in ultrasound was originally advertised in June 2025 after the previous post-holder advised that she was retiring in October 2025. Not only did she carry out management duties but she was also the one person who worked 100% on ultrasounds. We can see how capacity has been lost since she retired. There were five candidates for the position. An interview panel was being put together in the summer for interviews in July with the view of filling the position after the incumbent's retirement. However, that process was put on hold. I have been advised that the reason for this is that a clinical specialist radiographer in interventional radiography needed to be employed in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda. The Drogheda post was lost because it had not been filled by the time the pay and numbers review took place. Interviews for that clinical specialist radiographer in interventional radiography took place two years ago.

The Minister of State can see the issue. The belief is that the fact the position has not been filled in the Louth County Hospital is there an attempt to use that position to fill this position in Our Lady of Lourdes. I am not taking away from the need for both positions but we need to get an answer. I do not know what I can say about the answers to parliamentary questions I have received other than they do not seem to deal with the reality of those who have applied for the jobs or who are waiting on the service are dealing with. I will deal with that later.

Following questions in this House, the Minister was advised by the HSE that the post in Dundalk was open to applications and the new application deadline is 30 November in four days' time. However, the problem is that none of the five candidates have been advised of this. Those in senior HR positions within the hospitals are not aware of the application deadline. When one tries to look the job up on the HSE website, it does not seem to exist. People can see my worry at this point. How is this possible for a job that we were advised that recruitment was taking place for earlier this month? The last contact the applicants have received from the HSE was on 30 June to acknowledge receipt of their applications. They had been told informally - verbally - that the interviews were not going ahead. I do not know what this means in relation to the answers to parliamentary questions that I have received, in that I cannot say are the absolute truth. I am not saying somebody set out to lie but at best there is a serious miscommunication issue here. I would like the Minister of State to go back to the Minister for Health and that we would see this addressed.

The other issue of major concern is that the HSE's assertion in response to my parliamentary question that there would be no detrimental effect on the clinical service and ultrasound that the public receives but I am advised that capacity is currently down at least 50%. There are 7,000 currently on the waiting lists. In addition, there is no leadership in the ultrasound service at the Louth County Hospital from where the clinical specialist radiographer retired last month. It is all very concerning and all the more concerning that if the HSE moves to clear the backlog, it is going to use the services of private clinics that it has done at times in the past. This is at a huge cost.

Will there be a clinical specialist sonographer and ultrasound post in the Louth County Hospital in Dundalk? How can the HSE say there is no impact on the public when the waiting list surged to 7,000? Why have the applicants not been contacted properly and formally? Why does no one at a management or HR level at the hospitals in Dundalk or Drogheda know about the 30 November deadline?

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I am taking this Topical Issue on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health. At the outset, I sincerely thank the Deputy and his party for their commitment to the radiology services in County Louth and giving me the opportunity to speak on this important issue. Louth County Hospital is part of the HSE Dublin and North-East health region. In conjunction with Our Lady of Lourdes, Drogheda, these hospitals operate with an integrated managerial and clinical governance system, care pathways and support functions. In relation to diagnostic waiting lists generally, the National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF, and the HSE are currently carrying out an exercise to progress the collection of national radiology waiting list data.

10 o’clock

The purpose of this data is to provide a national level overview of the number of patients waiting for modalities of CT, MRI and ultrasound. These reports are heavily caveated, including, for example, that in addition to data in respect of urgent and routine activity, the reports also include surveillance of planned activity. As such, the current reports make it difficult to draw conclusions about the number of patients actually waiting for access to a scan. The quarter 2 report indicates that at the end of June 2025, less than ten patients in the county hospital in Louth and 6,414 patients at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda were waiting for an ultrasound.

What is important for patients is the implementation of the NTPF's national radiology diagnostic waiting list management protocol by all hospitals published in October 24. This will ensure that patients are administratively managed in a safe, timely, fair and equitable manner while waiting, as well as facilitating the improved data collection and reporting. Publication of the validated radiology diagnostic waiting list information will enable full analysis of diagnostic waiting times and provide a more completed understanding of how many patients are waiting, how long they are waiting and the specific services for which they are waiting. This is scheduled for quarter 3 of 2026.

As the Deputy is aware, a clinical specialist radiographer vacancy has arisen in Louth County Hospital. A recruitment process to fill this vacancy is under way and I am advised that the position is currently being advertised. The closing date for receiving applications is 30 November 2025. Subject to suitable applications being received, interviews will be scheduled in due course. The Minister has been assured by the HSE that while this recruitment process is ongoing, there will be no disruption to patient care or service delivery. All clinical services continue to operate as normal, ensuring that patients and service users experience no change in access, quality or continuity of care. I also understand that enhanced governance arrangements are being implemented for this position. These are designed to strengthen oversight, improve co-ordination and ensure clear lines of accountability across LCH and Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda. The Minister has also been advised by the HSE that the clinical specialist radiographer will be primarily based at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda, with integrated managerial and clinical governance responsibilities across Louth County Hospital, demonstrating this integrated approach. I am informed that many of the outpatient CT and ultrasound appointments from Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda are performed in the radiology department in Louth County Hospital, Dundalk.

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I could contest the numbers in relation to the ultrasound waiting lists at Louth County Hospital. I have been told they are considerably higher than ten. At this point, we do not have that one person who was actually working 100% on this and doing what is absolutely necessary from the point of view of due diligence and best practice supervising.

In fairness, I get that the Minister of State is providing information that has been provided to him, and that we have got closer to the answer. Initially, the answer I was being given was that everything is fine and this clinical specialist radiographer position is going ahead and the date is 30 November. However, my fear was that the position in Louth County Hospital, which is absolutely necessary, has been taken away and a means has been used to fill a different position in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda. We are going to talk about integrated management systems and so forth, but all I can say is that is absolute cover. I still hear that 30 November is the application deadline. I would love to see where this job is actually being advertised because those who applied for the initial job were basically told informally that it was not going ahead. However, they were given no absolute formal indication in relation to another job for which they could apply. The Minister of State said in his reply that:

The Minister has also been advised by the HSE that the clinical specialist radiographer will be primarily based at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda [that is the shooting match] with integrated managerial and clinical governance responsibilities across Louth County Hospital.

As I said, it is very easy to talk about integrated management. The fact is that is closer to the answer. I ask that the Minister of State go back to the Minister for Health. We are getting closer to an answer, but I think those who have applied for the job need to get it. I am not particularly happy that this position has been lost. It is not best practice. It means capacity is going to be lost in relation to providing ultrasounds in the Louth County Hospital in Dundalk, and we as a State will end up paying a huge amount of money to a third-party operator to deal with this backlog.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

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.

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I will need an answer in relation to how this decision was made-----

Aidan Farrelly (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

We need to move on. We cannot discuss it now, Deputy.

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

-----and what is going be done in relation to the position that happens now in Louth County Hospital.

Aidan Farrelly (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

We are moving on from Topical Issues. We will not have a back-and-forth on this.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I can assure the Deputy that I will bring that to the Minister.

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Go raibh maith agat. I appreciate that.