Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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78. To ask the Minister for Health his proposals to develop facilities at Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38020/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Cappagh Orthopaedic Hospital is part of the Ireland East Group and is Ireland's major centre for elective orthopaedic surgery. The hospital provides the full range of orthopaedic services including major joint replacement (ankle, hip, knee, shoulder, elbow, and wrist), spinal surgery, primary bone tumour service, paediatric orthopaedics and sports injuries.

Recent developments at the hospital include the new Post Anaesthetic Care Unit (PACU) which I opened in September of this year. This was the final stage of the theatre modernisation at the hospital and it was preceded by the development of three new state of the art theatres in 2011, one specifically designed with a large canopy for complex cases, the development of the Central Decontamination Unit in 2014 and the refurbishment of Theatres 3 and 4 in 2016.

In addition, the €40 million Winter Initiative 2016/2017 recently announced includes a €7m fund for a targeted waiting list programme for orthopaedics, spinal and scoliosis procedures. Specific actions include provision of €3m for an additional 570 orthopaedic procedures at the National Tertiary Referral Centre at Cappagh with the objective of achieving the 18 months waiting list target by year end.