Ollie Crowe (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I agree with and echo the comments made by Senator Kyne regarding school buses. The situation in this regard is an absolute pantomime. He is so correct. It has been going on since last September. I echo the sentiments he expressed.

Reports in recent weeks have stated that an internal draft document warns that the HSE's freeze on recruitment risks increasing waiting times for patients, demoralising staff and providing poor value for public money. I am regularly contacted by those on waiting lists for operations. I sure that is also the case for other Senators. To be fair, the Government has prioritised the issue and we have seen progress. Department of Health figures from 2023 reveal that there was a reduction of almost one third in those waiting longer than 12 months, equating to 54,000. Since the Covid period, the number of those waiting longer than 12 months has decreased by 60%. More than 177,000 patients were removed from the acute hospital waiting list last year, compared with 2022. The average outpatient waiting time fell from 9.7 months to 7.5 months. This also represents a 23% reduction in 2023. We would all like this progress to be even more dramatic, but it is commendable and a meaningful move in the right direction, particularly given the unforeseen pressures health services have faced in recent years due to the external factors outside their control.

We cannot to risk or undermine this progress, so while I recognise that it is important that the HSE budget is brought under control, I believe we need to have a frank and open discussion about how quickly that can be done in order to remove this recruitment freeze. I would be grateful if the would raise this issue with the Minister for Health, and request that he join us in the House as a matter of urgency to discuss this issue.