Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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2208. To ask the Minister for Health the number of children under 18 years of age currently on a waiting list for inpatient day case at the end of March 2021 or the latest date available by hospital groups; and the number waiting six months or less, six to 12 months and more than 12 months in tabular form. [20133/21]

Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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2209. To ask the Minister for Health the number of children under 18 years of age currently on a waiting list for inpatient day case GI endoscopy at the end of March 2021 or the latest date available by hospital groups; and the number waiting six months or less, six to 12 months and more than 12 months in tabular form. [20134/21]

Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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2210. To ask the Minister for Health the number of children under 18 years of age on the outpatient day case waiting list at the end of March 2021 or the latest date available by hospital group; and the number waiting six months or less, six to 12 months and more than 12 months in tabular form. [20135/21]

Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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2211. To ask the Minister for Health the number of children under 18 years of age currently on the outpatient day case waiting list for GI endoscopy at the end of March 2021 or the latest date available by hospital groups; and the number waiting six months or less, six to 12 months and more than 12 months in tabular form. [20136/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 2208 to 2211, inclusive, together.

It is recognised that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures have been impacted in the last year as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Elective hospital care was curtailed for the first quarter of 2021, in line with the rapid increase in Covid-19 hospital admissions, with only critical time dependent elective procedures undertaken.

On 23 March the HSE published the “Safe Return to Health Services Plan”. This plan outlines a three phased approach for the proposed restoration of services across Community Services, Acute Hospital Operations, Cancer Services and Screening Services. It sets target times for their safe return and details the conditions and challenges that will have to be met. Every phase of the plan has been informed by clinical guidance and putting patient and staff safety first. Decisions in relation to the type and volume of activity will be made at site level based on local COVID-19 numbers, available capacity and guidance from national clinical leads.

The schedule outlined in the plan for resumption of services will be regularly monitored by the HSE and updated as appropriate, dependant on public health advice and healthcare capacity.

Patient safety remains at the centre of all hospital activity and elective care scheduling. To ensure services are provided in a safe, clinically aligned and prioritised way, hospitals are following HSE clinical guidelines and protocols.

The work of the HSE to improve access to elective care and reduce waiting times for patients is supported by the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF). This includes increased use of private hospitals, funding weekend and evening work in public hospitals, funding “see and treat” services where minor procedures are provided at the same time as outpatient consultations, funding hybrid services where public and private hospitals contribute to the treatment of patients, virtual clinics and clinical validation.

€240 million has been provided in Budget 2021 for an access to care fund, €210m of which has been allocated to the HSE and a further €30m to the National Treatment Purchase Fund. This will be used to fund additional capacity to address the shortfall arising as a result of measures taken in the context of COVID-19, as well as to address waiting lists.

In relation to the data requested by the Deputy regarding the number of children under 18 currently on waiting lists, the NTPF has provided the attached document for Inpatient and Day Case (IPDC), Gastro-Intestinal Scopes (G.I. Scopes) and Outpatient (OPD) waiting lists.

The NTPF has further advised that within the Public Health System, children are generally classified as those under the age of 16, while the figures in the attached tables also include patients between 16 and 18 years of age, to reflect patients who were under 18 at the end of March 2021 according to the Date of Birth received from the relevant hospital.