Vol. 504 No. 5
136 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will examine the number and backlog of elderly persons awaiting cataract surgery in the Mater Hospital; his views in this regard; if he will give details of the number on the waiting list; the number of surgeons; the number of operations per week per surgeon; and the action, if any, he will take to reduce delays in excess of 12 months for elderly patients. [12466/99]
This information sought by the Deputy regarding the number and backlog of elderly persons awaiting cataract surgery in the Mater Hospital is not routinely available. However I have had inquiries made of the relevant hospital authorities regarding this matter and I have been advised that a total of 779 patients are currently on the ophthalmic surgery waiting list, of whom 346 are awaiting cataract operations. I understand that there are 4.5 wholetime equivalent ophthalmic surgeons in the Mater Hospital who carry out approximately 35 cataract operations per week between them.
This year my Department has allocated extra funding to the Mater Hospital under the waiting list initiative to reduce waiting times for ophthalmic surgery. Since coming into office I have increased the funding available to the national waiting list initiative from the £8 million provided by the previous Government in 1997 to £12 million in 1998, which represents an increase of 50 per cent over the 1997 funding and to £20 million in 1999 which represents a further increase of 66 per cent over the funding available in 1998.
I am confident that the waiting list initiative will have a significant impact on waiting lists and on waiting times.
