Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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432. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons on outpatient waiting lists awaiting eye care procedures at the end of 2016 and 2017, respectively; his plans to reduce such waiting lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7290/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The NTPF publishes the Inpatient/Daycase and Outpatient waiting list figures by specialty for each hospital on its website each month. This information is available at www.NTPF.ie.

Data from the NTPF indicate that there was a total of 32,823 people awaiting an Ophthalmology Outpatient appointment at the end of December 2016 and 39,803 people awaiting an appointment at the end of December 2017.

The Outpatient Waiting List remains a significant challenge to be addressed in 2018. Outpatient activity has increased year-on-year, while the gap between referrals and appointment activity continues to widen, with 2017 data from the HSE indicating a gap of over 1,200 patients per week. A number of steps, including the commencement of a national waiting list validation project by the HSE, are being taken to ensure the lists are accurate. These efforts are to intensify in the coming months.

My Department has also requested the HSE to develop an Outpatient Waiting List Action Plan for 2018.