Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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368. To ask the Minister for Health if additional resources will be provided to Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital Dublin to facilitate persons on the waiting list for a hip operation for 15 months; the plans in place to reduce the waiting list and have those who are waiting over three months dealt with as urgently as possible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2197/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The latest National Treatment Purchase Find (NTPF) published waiting list data shows that clear progress has been made to reduce the numbers of patients overall on waiting lists by end December 2015. These figures continue to show the positive trend which was seen in November 2015, with improvements across all waiting list categories.

This has been facilitated by the establishment in January 2015 of maximum permissible waiting times for inpatient / day case treatment and outpatient appointments of 18 months by 30 June and 15 months by year end. Also in 2015, the HSE was provided with additional funding to maximise capacity across the public and voluntary hospitals or to fund outsourcing activity, so that patients’ needs could be met within the maximum allowable waiting times.

NTPF figures indicate that Cappagh Hospital has achieved the HSE inpatient waiting list target times and, as a result, there are no patients are waiting longer that 15 months for a hip operation.

In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.