Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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2292.To ask the Minister for Health the total number of persons on the waiting list for ophthalmology in Cork; the average waiting time for an appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32314/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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It is acknowledged that many patients are still waiting too long for hospital appointments and treatments.

As part of the multi-annual approach to reducing waiting lists, and just as importantly the length of time that patients are waiting, I published the 2024 Waiting List Action Plan on 27th March. Total funding of €360 million has been provided for the plan this year which sets out 19 Actions across three themes: Delivering Capacity, Reforming Scheduled Care and Enabling Scheduled Care Reform.

The Waiting List Action Plan multi-annual approach, initiated in 2021, encompasses a two-pronged approach of short-term actions to increase capacity and activity in the immediate term, and longer-term reform measures to sustainably reduce and reform hospital waiting lists and waiting times.

The 2024 Plan builds on the work of previous plans which have achieved significant progress in overall waiting list reduction and in addressing long waiting times, against a backdrop of significantly increased demand for scheduled care services. This year’s plan aims to achieve a reduction in the overall number of patients on waiting lists while three of the four overarching targets in the Plan are specifically focused on improving waiting times.

With regard to the information requested by the Deputy about the Ophthalmology Outpatient waiting list for County Cork, the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) have advised that there are 7,196 patients on the list with an area of residence in County Cork.

The NTPF has advised that the health system does not collect the data necessary to calculate true average wait times. In particular, the time to treatment of patients who have already received their care is not collected. The NTPF collects data on patients on the waiting list at a particular time. The average (median) wait time for patients currently on the Ophthalmology Outpatient waiting list with an area of residence in County Cork is 316 days.

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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2293.To ask the Minister for Health to expedite surgery for a person (details supplied); to provide an update on same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32324/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.

In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.