Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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367. To ask the Minister for Health if a person (details supplied) will be considered for treatment under the National Treatment Purchase Fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5523/18]

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 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.

Reducing waiting times for patients is one of the Government's key priorities. October's Budget announced a total 2018 allocation of €55m for the National Treatment Purchase Fund for 2018. In this context, the HSE and NTPF are working together to develop Waiting List Action Plans for 2018. These plans will see a continued focus on long-waiting patients and overall waiting lists. In 2018 the NTPF will continue to arrange the provision of treatment for Inpatient/Daycase patients across a range of specialties.

In response to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you directly.