David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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863. To ask the Minister for Health the number of children in respect of the long waiting times for MRIs in CHI who are currently waiting; the duration of their wait; the number of children who have been outsourced for a MRI during 2020-21; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12978/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I sincerely regret that children can experience a long waiting time for hospital appointments and procedures, and I am conscious of the burden that this places on them and their families. This Government is committed to improving waiting times for all patients accessing hospital treatment across all specialties.

It is recognised that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures have been impacted as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and as a result of the deferral of elective scheduled care activity in March, April and May of 2020, and since 2nd January 2021.

It is of note that key social distancing measures and Infection Prevention and Control requirements, such as two-metre distancing, have a material impact on the available physical space to deliver all hospital services, and this has had a significant impact on both available capacity and operational activity levels. Children’s Health Ireland has advised that under the current HSE guidelines, they have reduced the number of procedures to urgent and those that are time sensitive.

In relation to the specific query regarding the number of children and long waiting times for MRIs in CHI that are currently waiting; the duration of their wait; the number of children who have been outsourced for an MRI during 2020-2021, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.