Séamus McGrath (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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1986. To ask the Minister for Health how many cataract surgeries have taken place in Cork county in the years 2022, 2023, 2024, and the target number for 2025; the current waiting list for such surgery in Cork county; and the up-to-date average waiting period for patients to receive treatment. [18547/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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It is acknowledged that many patients are still waiting too long for hospital appointments and treatments. I am conscious of the burden that this places on patients and their families.

I published the Waiting List Action Plan (WLAP) for 2025 on February 12th, representing this Government’s commitment to reducing waiting times for patients and improving access to hospital care.

In keeping with this commitment, significant funding of €420m was allocated to the Waiting List Action Plan for 2025, €190m for the HSE and €230m for the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF).

With the 2025 plan, we are continuing to build upon the progress delivered to date under the multi annual action plan approach, progressing towards the ultimate vision of a public healthcare service in which everyone has timely access to high-quality scheduled care, where and when they need it.

The NTPF have supplied my Department with the information in the document attached, which sets out figures for the number of patients on waiting lists for cataract surgery in Cork and the length of time that those patients have been waiting. In respect of the average wait times, the NTPF collects data on patients on waiting lists at a point in time and the average time that these patients have been waiting is also provided in the attached document.

In respect of the number of cataract surgeries that have taken place in Co. Cork in the years 2022, 2023, 2024, and the target number for 2025, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.