Vol. 505 No. 6
146 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to the lengthy delays in Dublin's Temple Street Hospital for ear, nose and throat operations for children; the current numbers on the waiting list; the throughput; the numbers waiting over 12 months for different categories of ear, nose and throat treatment; and if he will allocate funds from within the waiting list initiative to deal promptly with this problem. [14230/99]
I have had inquiries made of the Children's Hospital, Temple Street, regarding ENT waiting lists and have been advised that at the end of March 1999, the most recent period for which information is available, there was a total of 628 children awaiting ENT procedures. I have been further advised that 401 of these patients have been waiting over 12 months, and that the annual throughput activity for 1998 for ENT cases was 1,589 cases.
Since coming into office, I am acutely aware of the importance of reducing waiting lists and waiting times, particularly for children. To this end my Department has allocated £150,000 in 1999 to Temple Street Hospital under the waiting list initiative for the provision of treatment to children on waiting lists. The hospital, conscious of the delays experienced by patients awaiting ENT procedures, has earmarked £81,250 of its total waiting list initiative funding for additional ENT work in 1999. I am confident that the additional funding and revised arrangements for the management of waiting lists will have a significant impact on waiting lists and more importantly waiting times this year.
