National waiting list information is collated by my Department from data supplied by health boards and is broken down by the total number of adults and children waiting for procedures at hospitals within their respective areas. The information provided by health boards does not identify individuals or their place of residence.
The numbers on waiting lists and the waiting times for hip replacements and ENT procedures in the Western Health Board, in the format collected by my Department, are being communicated separately to the Deputy. Cardiac surgery is not performed in the Western Health Board but is provided in three Dublin Hospitals and at Cork University Hospital. The total number waiting for cardiac surgery at 30 June 2001 was 420. The information requested by the Deputy in relation to orthodontic waiting lists is not routinely collected by my Department. Therefore, my Department has asked the chief executive officer of the Western Health Board to compile the information requested and to forward it to the Deputy directly.