Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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449. To ask the Minister for Health to provide a full breakdown including the type of procedure of all persons currently on a HSE waiting list in County Tipperary, including those waiting up to 3 months, between 3 and 6 months, between 6 and 9 months, between 9 and 12 months, over 1 year and over 2 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33515/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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It is recognised that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. While significant work continues to positively impact on waiting times and improve pathways to elective care, acute hospitals have been impacted by operational challenges arising from surges in cases related to the Omicron variants.

The HSE has confirmed to the Department that 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.

In relation to the particular query raised by the Deputy, the attached document, provided to my Department by the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF), outlines the number of patients on a waiting list for an inpatient or day case procedure with an area of residence of County Tipperary at the end of May 2022, by specialty and by time-band. The NTPF has advised that to preserve confidentiality and mitigate against identification or self-identification of individuals, the time-bands have been condensed to reduce the small volumes associated with the level of detail requested by the Deputy.