Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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790. To ask the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to providing additional funding for the National Treatment Purchase Fund to enable it to be extended so that the number of children and adults on waiting lists for essential healthcare services can be reduced in view of the withdrawal of services due to the Covid-19 pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26400/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Improving access to Scheduled Care and reducing waiting time for patients for hospital operations and procedures is a key priority for Government. The year-on-year increases to the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) since Budget 2017 reflect this priority and Budget 2020 saw the funding of the NTPF increase by €25million to €100million.

Furthermore, since 2017, the Department, HSE and NTPF have been collaborating to identify initiatives to improve waiting times for patients, and the NTPF works with the hospital system to provide additionality to improve access to inpatient/day case procedures and outpatient appointments.

Funding for the NTPF in 2021 will be considered as part of the upcoming Estimates process