Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

668. To ask the Minister for Health the current national waiting times for chronic pain assessment and treatment at primary, secondary and tertiary levels; and the longest wait recorded in each hospital group. [68065/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

678. To ask the Minister for Health to publish the current waiting times for chronic pain assessment and treatment in each hospital group, including the longest waits recorded, and the actions planned to reduce these delays. [68075/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 668 and 678 together.

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 in February, representing this Government’s continued commitment to reducing waiting times for patients and improving access to hospital care.

With the multi-annual action plan approach, we are 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.

My Department is engaging with the HSE and National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) to develop the action plan for 2026, building on the progress delivered to date, renewing the focus on improving waiting times for patients, and considering the learnings from the challenges that arose in 2025.

In relation to the particular query raised, adult and child waiting list information by hospital, specialty, and time band is published monthly by the NTPF on its website: www.ntpf.ie/home/nwld.htm.

The information is now being made available through an interactive visual tool which provides users with a much-improved way of accessing and analysing waiting list information.