Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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1355. To ask the Minister for Health if the National Treatment Purchase Fund can be availed of for those seeking an assessment of need; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13125/23]

Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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1356. To ask the Minister for Health the average waiting time for reimbursement under the National Treatment Purchase Fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13126/23]

Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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1357. To ask the Minister for Health if he will consider altering the National Treatment Purchase Fund to remove the onus on patients availing of this scheme from having to pay up front for the cost before claiming this back and instead allow payment to come directly from the NTPF; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13127/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1355, 1356 and 1357 together.

The National Treatment Purchase Fund was established under the Health (Corporate Bodies) Act 1961, with the function of providing hospital treatment for citizens and the collection and validation of information in relation to waiting lists. Its role was extended in 2009, via the Nursing Home Support Scheme Act 2009, to provide for negotiations with private nursing homes in the context of fees payable for Fair Deal Clients.

In providing treatment the NTPF works with public hospitals, as opposed to patients directly, to offer and provide the funding for treatment to clinically suitable long waiting patients. Treatment can be provided in either public or private hospitals but in either case the NTPF deals directly with the hospital concerned to arrange payment for the treatment provided. Individual patients do not have to pay for treatment provided.

As noted above under its establishment legislation the NTPFs remit is to provide hospital treatment only and it has not statutory remit to arrange or fund any non-hospital services, incluidng assessments of need for patients.