Paul Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, to the House.

Tim Lombard (Fine Gael)
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The Minister of State is more than welcome. I have a Commencement matter about the ophthalmology services in the Cork-Kerry region. I am looking for an update on the proposed theatres in the South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital and the proposed outpatients department in Ballincollig. The ophthalmology services in our region have, unfortunately, been poor for a considerable time. At the moment there is a waiting list of more than 4,500 people, of whom 2,469, unfortunately, have been waiting more than a year for an appointment. There is very much a need for a comprehensive service on the ground. Works have been put in place over the past three years in particular to make sure capital infrastructure is in place to build on where we are going. That capital infrastructure involves two theatres in the South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital, which have been constructed, and a major complex that has been built in Ballincollig, which is an outpatients centre. These are two significant developments for the region. When these two are fully staffed and operational, that will be the solution to this problem going forward.

However, this matter is about trying to get clarity on the staffing levels and where we are with staff. The Minister, on 6 December, gave an assurance that funding had been released for the appointment of surgeons for the theatres in the South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital, which is a really important part of this matter. We need to make sure we get the consultants and surgeons who are required to man the service that is being put in place. I am looking for an update on that 6 December announcement by the Minister that he had released funding, to know where we are in that recruitment programme. Have appropriate candidates been lined up? Is there a timeline? When will surgeons commence operations on that complex in order that we can have these two wonderful brand-new theatres brought into full use?

In regard to the outpatients centre, which is an amazing complex at Ballincollig in the primary care centre, it is proposed that 35 staff will be required. This will cover the entire region of Cork-Kerry. It is a significant development. This is about trying to make sure we can get the staff in place sooner rather than later to have the service up and running. We need to make sure that we have both the outpatients centre and the theatres working in tandem in order that the current list of 4,500 people can be brought down dramatically. It is all about recruitment. I realise there are significant pressures in recruitment and trying to attract international consultants is a struggle. The need for this region to have qualified, trained and appropriate staff to man both complexes is important. I appeal for an update on when the surgeons will take over and when we will have work on the ground to open the theatres.

In addition the outpatient clinic is a significant development. Having 35 people based in Ballincollig for this service will surely have a huge knock-on impact on this waiting list. Will the Minister of State provide an update on those two issues and enlighten both myself and the House on how these are developing?

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Senator for the opportunity to come before the House to give an update on this matter. I am taking this on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Donnelly. I have no doubt that if the Minister was here, he would be quite disappointed with the level of detail in the script I have in front of me because it really does not address everything that the Senator asked about. Perhaps we might address it in a roundabout way and we get to the endgame on it.

The demand for ophthalmic services has grown in the region over the past number of years. This is due both to the development of new treatments and the ageing population profile. Recent reports predict this demand will continue to increase in the coming years. The Senator is quite right in that this is going on since 2017 when the National Clinical Programme for Ophthalmology Model of Eye Care 2017 and the reconfiguration of acute hospital services for Cork and Kerry commenced. It was decided that there should be a regional department of ophthalmology. The South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital was chosen as the site best suited for this. As part of these developments the ophthalmology outpatients department, OPD, the eye casualty at Cork University Hospital and the OPD from Mercy University Hospital will transfer to a new ophthalmology OPD and eye casualty building at South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital. The South-South West Hospital Group, SSWHG, has advised that it expects that the new operating theatres will be open in March 2023. If I was to read between the lines, that is when I would think that the surgeon will be appointed and that is the start date. Surely we are not going to open a building without the people who are part and parcel of it? The new ophthalmology unit OPD includes two operating theatres, anaesthetic, scrub and prep rooms, a recovery unit and an ophthalmology day unit. The unit will also include the most modern equipment and will have access to supportive diagnostic technology. In addition to developing hospital services, this unit will also support continued work with the regional eye care service based in the primary community care centre in Ballincollig.

The Ballincollig centre will treat patients through multidisciplinary teams, MDTs, working together to provide patient care in a community setting. It will bring care closer to the patient's home, increase integration between the hospital and community settings and deliver the best outcomes for children and adults requiring ophthalmic care in the Cork and Kerry areas. The HSE is currently working on equipping the centre, including with specialist ICT infrastructure, and ensuring it is appropriately staffed.

There are two significant dates. One is March 2023. which is for the theatres. That is what the Senator asked about in regard to the surgeon. Then there is May 2023 which is when the additional 35 staff will be in place. Knowing that it takes the guts of nine months to recruit a staff member within the HSE I have no doubt, reading between the lines, that the fact we have opening dates that recruitment for such posts is under way. We cannot say we are going to open in March if we do not have the key people to run the unit. I would take, from reading that, that staff will be there for March 2023 but it will be May 2023 for the community care centre in Ballincollig. I will ask the Minister to find out from the officials where we are in the recruitment process because, as the Senator rightly said, recruitment and retention is difficult and challenging but that is quite specialised.

We need to know that we are down to a selection process at this stage because people would need to be able to give notice in their other jobs if they were transferring over.

Tim Lombard (Fine Gael)
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It is positive news to think we are probably eight weeks away from having the surgeon that is required to have these two theatres up and running. This issue has been around since 2017, as the Minister of State said. To think we are coming to the endgame is important. The endgame is that we have a date and a time. We have the infrastructure and now we have a date on which it is going to open. That is a positive step forward for the people of the Cork-Kerry region. If we can have those theatres up and running in the next eight or ten weeks, there will be a significant change in the service in the region.

Following that, in May 2023, which is only a few weeks later, the outpatients department will open. That is a positive step. I thank the Minister of State for taking the time to come to the Chamber. It has been a positive morning and this is real progress on an issue that has dogged our region for so long.

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Senator. He is right. As long as I have been a Deputy, I have heard about the crisis in ophthalmology in the Cork-Kerry area. It is testament to the Senator and other public representatives who have continued to advocate for the key capital infrastructure that was needed. Now that we have it, not just on one train but we have it at community level, we are able to deal with people who need surgery and that level of intervention. I believe once and for all, for the people listening in today from the Cork-Kerry area, significant investment is going in on the capital side but also in current expenditure to have the staff in place to look after patients' needs, not just older people but right across the community from young to old. The Senator's constituents and the people of Cork and Kerry will no longer have to take the bus that we hear about on a regular basis. Senator Lombard along with his elected representatives in government will have delivered infrastructure and revenue in order that the people can be supported as close to home as possible.