Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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393. To ask the Minister for Health when a person a person (details supplied) will receive an appointment for an operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35766/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.

The scheduling of appointments for patients is a matter for the hospital to which the patient has been referred. Should a patient's general practitioner consider that the patient's condition warrants an earlier appointment, he or she should take the matter up with the consultant and the hospital involved. In relation to the specific case raised, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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394. To ask the Minister for Health the waiting times for inpatient and outpatient urology appointments at Galway university hospital, specifically in respect of those waiting for three months, six months, nine months, 12 months, 15 months and all periods in similar increments thereafter, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35772/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The NTPF publishes the updated public waiting list figures each month on its website (www.NTPF.ie) and the most recent figures as of 27 October were published on 4 November. The figures relating to Urology in-patient and day case and outpatient waiting lists can be viewed in tabular form by the Deputy on this website.

In the 2016 National Service Plan, the HSE has set out the following targets for in-patient day case and outpatient targets; 95% of patients should wait less that 15 months for an in-patient or day case procedure and 85% of patients should wait less than 12 months for their first appointment.

There are currently a total of 7,884 patients waiting for an in-patient or day case urology appointment (of whom 89% are within the 15% target) and 2,102 waiting on an out-patient appointment for Urology in Galway University Hospital (of whom 85% are within the 12 month target).

At my request, in August, the HSE developed an Action Plan to reduce, by year end, the number of patients currently waiting 18 months or more for an in-patient/daycase procedure.

In addition to this Budget 2017 provides for the treatment of our longest-waiting patients. €20m is being allocated to the NTPF, rising to €55m in 2018. Planning of this initiative is at an advanced stage by the NTPF, my Department and the HSE.