Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As we have approximately four weeks left, I ask the Leader to provide a schedule of the proposed legislation between now and the summer recess so that we have something definitive for the next four weeks or so.

I express my alarm at the increase in hospital waiting lists, particularly in my county and city of Cork. The figures published by the National Treatment Purchase Fund and acknowledged by the HSE indicate that more than 13,000 people, primarily in Cork city and county, are waiting for more than 12 months to see a consultant in the three Cork hospitals, the South Infirmary, the Mercy Hospital and CUH. Some of them have been waiting for as long as 18 months. Even having seen a consultant there is a further delay of 12 month or 15 months - sometimes up to two years - to get the surgery done, including hip replacement and knee surgery.

I ask the Leader to have the issue of the National Treatment Purchase Fund, which has basically been stood down by the current Government, looked at again. It is an appalling vista to have thousands of people waiting first to see a consultant and then to have their operation. That is not acceptable in this day and age and many of these people are elderly. The National Treatment Purchase Fund was established to address a bottleneck in our health service with people waiting for operations. It allowed operations to be done in Northern Ireland and Great Britain and the system should be revisited. Instead of getting better, the reality is that this time five years ago the then spokesperson for health in opposition, the former Minister for Health, Deputy Reilly, was pontificating that if he was in power, within 12 or 15 months he would have it all sorted out and in fact it is getting worse. The matter must be addressed. I am not proposing an amendment to the Order of Business because I want the Leader to reflect on these waiting list figures with a view to having a full debate on them and the role of the NTPF before the summer recess. I intend to revisit the matter.

I raise the issue of Irish Water and the farcical situation of thousands of homeowners being supplied through lead pipes, which are widely known to contaminate water and have adverse effects on people's health. We have discussed ad nauseamthe funding of Irish Water, rushing to install meters everywhere and putting the cart before the horse. The first thing the public want is good-quality water through good pipes and that is not happening at the moment. There are issues with potable water even in areas such as mine in west County Cork. It is not acceptable that approximately 200,000 households are getting water through the lead pipes.

I urge the Leader to organise a debate on the direction of Irish Water with the Minister responsible, hopefully before the summer recess. A two or three-hour debate in this House would highlight the problems. Things are not getting any better. Approximately €600,000 and possibly up to €750,000 has already been spent. Instead of Irish Water serving the needs of the people, the whole situation is deteriorating. It is wrong to have a total rush to install meters with a view to collecting money rather than ensuring a proper supply of potable water that is lead-free. I hope we can debate these issues in the Chamber and be provided with answers. Otherwise, whether it is next week or the week after, either I or my Leader, Senator Darragh O'Brien, will table amendments to the Order of Business to pressurise for a debate on these very important issues.