David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The response from the Minister of State on behalf of the Minister for Health only reaffirms my fear because the Minister of State accepts that 1,870 patient referrals were sent from Waterford to Cappagh. Furthermore, the Minister of State has accepted that there was an agreement that Cappagh would complete the episode of care.

That did not happen. The Minister of State then indicated that the initiative came to an end in June 2013. Why was that the case and why was the care not followed through on? He further indicated that people should return to Waterford for treatment. The logic behind sending them to Cappagh Hospital in the first instance relates to the fact that there are capacity issues in Waterford. In that context, the Minister of State accepted that there is a waiting time of 20 months.

This is a complete mess. No one is able to inform the patients why the arrangement with Cappagh Hospital was brought to an end in the way it was and neither can they tell them when they will be seen. With respect, all we get from the HSE in respect of this matter is spin and, in that context, the Minister of State was obliged to use the phrase "continuing to explore options to reduce waiting times". What options is it exploring? I have been raising this issue for almost 18 months and I have been continually informed that options are being examined. I do not see any options, nor do I see any solutions. All I see is waiting times increasing constantly. Arrangements that were put in place - such as that relating to Cappagh Hospital - which were designed to reduce waiting times have been brought to an end without an explanation being provided.

I am not sure whether the Minister of State is in a position to respond to me in respect of these matters. If not, perhaps he could revert to me on them. This is a crucial issue for people who are awaiting treatment. I genuinely believe the situation is unsustainable. It is also unfair on the excellent staff employed in Waterford University Hospital.