Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 132: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her Department's policy with regard to the acceptable waiting time for an appointment to see a consultant following referral; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that patients have to wait over six months for an appointment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5761/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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My objective is to reduce waiting times as much as possible for patients. With this in mind, in 2005, I asked the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) set up a number of out-patient pilot projects to seek to reduce waiting times for patients on public hospital waiting lists. 17 hospitals responded and the pilot programme operated successfully; arranging appointments for 4,500 in the last quarter of 2005. The initiative was expanded in 2006 with 22 public hospitals, from across all regions, referring patients to 13 private hospitals for first-time out-patient consultations. Nine specialties participated and over 10,000 patients had been provided with out-patient appointments by the end of 2006. The NTPF proposes to expand the programme again in 2007 and expects to offer appointments to at least 9,500 persons. I am very pleased with the success to date of the out-patient programme.