Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I ask the Leader to arrange an urgent debate on the soaring hospital waiting lists which are truly appalling. Last Friday the National Treatment Purchase Fund published figures dating from September 2012 to September 2013 which showed that waiting lists have increased by 8,000 persons. The facts are as follows. There were 49,496 persons on the inpatient and day case list in September 2013 which meant an 18% increase on the 2012 figure. That is most alarming and appalling. In addition, the Minister for Health has declined discretionary medical cards for sick children which is a shame.

I also note and welcome, as does this side of the House, the fact that the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, has been asked to supervise the Minister for Health's handling of the health budget. I am sure that the Taoiseach, in particular, has lost at least some, if not all, confidence in the Minister for Health.

The most emphatic and worrying issue is the problem facing sick children. It is an appalling vista to know that 42,000 children must await outpatient appointments as of today. That is an amazing figure. In excess of 31,000, or the vast majority, are on the list for Temple Street hospital and Crumlin hospital in Dublin.

Of these figures, some 3,168 are waiting for cardiology appointments, life saving treatments, at Crumlin hospital and a further 1,043 are waiting for cardiology appointments at Temple Street. Some 2,243 children are awaiting eye appointments in Crumlin and 1,570 awaiting similar appointments in Temple Street. Some 3,527 children are awaiting ear, nose and throat appointments in Temple Street while another 1,500 are on the equivalent list in Crumlin hospital. There are 4,706 on the overall list at Crumlin hospital and a further 3,419 at Temple Street hospital. In fact, there are 8,500 children, as we speak, on the waiting lists in Ireland which is a significant increase. This is very worrying because last year, the Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly, in whom we had faith because in the year running up to the election, he gave an assurance to the other House that once he took the reins of power he would resolve all the issues confronting the HSE, including waiting lists. One of his critical issues was to reduce waiting lists. I commend him for providing a special €18 million fund to target waiting lists when the waiting lists were at 47,943. The numbers on the waiting lists have increased significantly since then. I am talking about the waiting lists concerning sick children throughout the country. I propose an amendment to the Order of Business that either the Minister for Health or the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin, come to the House and tell us the plan to alleviate the concern of parents for sick children, our future generations, who are on the waiting lists are getting worse. If the waiting lists were improving I would be the first to acknowledge it. In this regard the Minister has failed dismally. I ask that either the Minister for Health or the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform come to the House today, as a matter of urgency, and explain what will be done in the coming months rather than years.