David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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161. To ask the Minister for Health the estimated timeframe it will take to reduce waiting lists to a reasonable level and tackle the healthcare backlog; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3711/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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My Department, the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) are working on initiating a comprehensive reform programme that will deliver a Multi Annual Waiting List Plan to address waiting lists and bring them in line with Sláintecare targets over the coming years. This process will be overseen by a Ministerial Taskforce chaired by the Secretary General of my Department and will include representatives from the HSE and NTPF. The process and plan will be informed by the lessons and achievements of the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme and Taskforce. It will also build upon the recent successful delivery of the Acute Waiting List Action Plan and associated oversight forum, chaired by the Secretary General and with membership from my Department, the HSE and the NTPF, that has been in place since October 2021. A 2022 Waiting List Action Plan is currently being developed under the auspices of this oversight forum which will include waiting list and waiting time targets. This will form the first stage of the Multi Annual Waiting List Plan.

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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162. To ask the Minister for Health when he plans to bring forward legislation to implement statutory waiting time targets as recommended in the Sláintecare report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3712/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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My Department, the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) are working on initiating a comprehensive reform programme that will deliver a Multi Annual Waiting List Plan to address waiting lists and bring them in line with Sláintecare targets over the coming years. This process will be overseen by a Ministerial Taskforce chaired by the Secretary General of my Department and will include representatives from the HSE and NTPF. The process and plan will be informed by the lessons and achievements of the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme and Taskforce. It will also build upon the recent successful delivery of the Acute Waiting List Action Plan and associated oversight forum, chaired by the Secretary General and with membership from my Department, the HSE and the NTPF, that has been in place since October 2021. A 2022 Waiting List Action Plan is currently being developed under the auspices of this oversight forum, which will include waiting time targets. This will form the first stage of the Multi Annual Waiting List Plan.