James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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87. To ask the Minister for Health the action that will be taken in 2017 to reduce waiting times for outpatient consultations in Naas hospital, which increased significantly during 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4692/17]

Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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105. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to speed up the provision of outpatient appointments in Cork hospitals in view of the fact that more than 5,000 persons were waiting more than 18 months for a consultation at the end of 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4676/17]

Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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116. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to speed up the provision of outpatient appointments to the 3,264 persons waiting more than a year for a consultation at the Midland Regional Hospital, Tullamore; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4668/17]

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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120. To ask the Minister for Health the improvement that can be expected in 2017 in the long waiting times for an outpatient appointment in Tallaght hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4680/17]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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134. To ask the Minister for Health the action that will be taken in 2017 to reduce waiting times for outpatient consultations in Cavan hospital, which increased significantly during 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4682/17]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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148. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to speed up the provision of outpatient appointments in the three children’s hospitals in Dublin, in view of the fact that more than 7,000 children were waiting more than a year for an outpatient appointment at the end of 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4677/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 84, 87, 105, 116, 120, 134 and 148 together.

Reducing waiting times for the longest waiting patients is one of this Government's key priorities.

We are seeing a considerable increase in demand for health services as our population grows and ages. For example, the HSE has advised that to the end of September, there was a sustained increase in referrals for outpatient appointments, each month in the order of 10%, in comparison with the same period in 2015.

In November, the HSE launched the Strategy for the design of Integrated Outpatient Services 2016-2020. It seeks to improve waiting times for outpatient services by enhancing patient referral pathways and utilising technology to enable better planning. In the context of rolling out this Strategy, the HSE is currently developing an Outpatient Waiting List Action Plan for 2017. The plan will focus on ensuring that no patient is waiting more than 15 months on this list by the end of October 2017.

Each of the Hospital Groups is currently finalising its Operational Plan for 2017. These Plans will set out the specific actions to be implemented this year to address waiting lists, including outpatient waiting lists. These specific actions will form part of the HSE’s Outpatient Waiting List Action Plan.

I expect to make known the details of the HSE Outpatient Waiting List Action Plan in the coming weeks.