Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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401. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons currently waiting in County Mayo for a neurological consultant appointment broken down by time waiting of zero to three months, three to six months, six to nine months, nine to 12 months, 12 to 24 months and more than 24 months, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15383/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) has advised that as of 23 March 2017 there were 521 people (including children) on the outpatient waiting list on the Neurology Outpatient waiting list with a patient area of residence of Donegal. The waiting times of those on the list is indicated in the following table.

Neurology Outpatient waiting list with a patient area of residence of Donegal

As the Deputy may be aware, in December 2016, I granted approval to the NTPF to dedicate €5m to a daycase waiting list initiative with the aim of ensuring that no patient will be waiting more than 18 months for a daycase procedure by 30 June 2017.In excess of 2000 daycases will be managed through this process and outsourcing of treatment will commence shortly. The focus of this initiative will be those lists with large numbers of long waiting patients.

In addition to this Daycase Initiative, the NTPF has been working closely with my Department and the HSE to agree an approach to the remaining 2017 allocation. The HSE is currently developing a 2017 Waiting List Action Plans for Inpatient/Daycase procedures and Outpatient appointments to reduce the number of patients waiting more than 15 months by the end of October. The Inpatient/Day case Plan is being developed in conjunction with the NTPF's approach to the utilisation of its remaining €10m funding for patient treatment in 2017.

The HSE has now submitted Draft Waiting List Action Plans for Inpatient Daycases and Scoliosis. My Department is currently reviewing and evaluating these plans and engagement is ongoing with the HSE and the NTPF towards the finalisation of the former. The Outpatients Plan has been significantly progressed and I expect that it will be submitted shortly.

Tom Neville (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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402. To ask the Minister for Health if he will address the issue of the long waiting list for cataract surgery within the UL Hospitals group; the number that are on the waiting list for surgery; the number that are on the waiting list referred to but yet to be seen by an ophthalmic surgeon; the longest period of time that a person is on a waiting list for cataract surgery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15386/17]

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.

The National Waiting List Management Policy, A standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures, January 2014, has been developed to ensure that all administrative, managerial and clinical staff follow an agreed national minimum standard for the management and administration of waiting lists for scheduled care. This policy, which has been adopted by the HSE, sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists.

In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.