asked the Minister for Health if he will make a statement on the extent of hospital waiting lists in Dublin; the initiatives he is planning to reduce same; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Dublin Hospitals Waiting Lists.
62.
Information available to my Department does not suggest a significant increase in the number on waiting lists in general, although long waiting lists do exist for some specialties and for certain procedures. These tend to occur where new procedures or treatments are developed but available facilities have not expanded sufficiently to provide a comprehensive service immediately.
Health boards and public voluntary hospitals will be notified of their noncapital revenue allocation for 1989 soon. Officials of my Department will then be meeting with health board and hospital managements to discuss their plans for containing expenditure within allocation. Hospitals will be asked to re-examine priorities and where long waiting lists exist to make efforts to ensure that unneccesary delays in treating patients do not occur.