Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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440. To ask the Minister for Health his Department's business priorities for each of the past five years; the way in which scoliosis surgeries have been a part of these plans for each of the past five years; the location and funding for same; the way in which paediatric access and surgery have been a part of these plans for each of the past five years; the location and funding for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41884/17]

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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441. To ask the Minister for Health if his Department received submissions as part of the Estimates process in the past five years to address the specific issue of scoliosis surgery; the way in which this was included in his Department's statement of priority over the past five years; the way in which this was included in his department’s budget over the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41885/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 440 and 441 together.

On foot of submissions received in 2014 and discussions with the HSE on scoliosis service requirements, the Department provided additional funding of €1.042m under the 2015 National Service Plan to increase capacity at Our Lady's Children's Hospital Crumlin. A further €0.987m was allocated under the 2016 Service Plan for Orthopaedics and Trauma to continue the development of paediatric scoliosis services in Crumlin hospital. The HSE Winter Initiative 2016/2017 also included €2m specifically for scoliosis. In addition, capital funding was provided for a new orthopaedic theatre in Crumlin which is now operational. The Children's Hospital Group Operations Plan for both 2016 and 2017 prioritised the improvement of capacity of paediatric scoliosis services to address ongoing deficits and waiting lists. It is acknowledged that paediatric orthopaedic services, including scoliosis, will require additional investment in the next few years to further improve access for children requiring elective or trauma orthopaedic services, and to build up the orthopaedic work force for the new children's hospital.

The Department's Business Priorities for this year include the overseeing of plans to tackle waiting lists overall. The Department's Statement of Strategy 2016-2019 commits to sustaining the progress made to date on waiting lists, and it has been made clear that one of this Government's key priorities is to reduce waiting times for the longest waiting patients. Consequently, Budget 2017 allocated €20 million to the NTPF, rising to €55 million in 2018. In this regard, I would like to highlight that up to the end of August 2017, 202 scoliosis procedures have been carried out in the two children's hospitals (Crumlin and Temple Street), as compared with 142 in those hospitals in the same period in 2016, representing a 42% increase in activity by end of August between 2016 and 2017. Up to 22 September 2017, the two children's hospitals have already exceeded the number of surgeries undertaken in the whole of last year - 226 to 22 September in 2017 compared with 220 in the full year in 2016.

I have asked the HSE to provide further details on how the additional funding provided over the last few years has been used to improve scoliosis services.