Michael Harty (Clare, Independent)
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210. To ask the Minister for Health if there is an 11 month wait in County Clare for children under 12 years of age seeking access to the community ophthalmic physician and 26 months for adults who need cataract procedures in the public system as against three months for those that can afford private care as reported by an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25820/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The number of patients waiting for a Cataract procedure at the end of April 2019 was 6,151, which represents a reduction of almost 50% when compared to July 2017, when the number of people waiting for a cataract procedure was 10,024.

It is also worth noting that at the end of April 2019, of the patients waiting for a cataract procedure, 582 of patients were waiting over 9 months. This represents a reduction of 3,789 or 87% when compared to July 2017, when there were 4,371 patients waiting over 9 months for a cataract operation.

Budget 2019 announced that the Government had further increased investment in tackling waiting lists, with funding to the NTPF increasing from €55 million in 2018 to €75 million in 2019. The joint Department of Health, HSE, and NTPF Scheduled Care Access Plan 2019 was published on the 11th March and is focused on ten identified high volume procedures, which includes cataracts.

The HSE has been asked to reply directly to the Deputy regarding waiting times for children seeking access to the community ophthalmic physician in Co Clare.