Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 3 Oct 2001

Vol. 541 No. 2

Written Answers. - Hospital Waiting Lists.

Róisín Shortall

Ceist:

653 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason the Government's target time of patients not waiting longer than 12 months has not materialised in respect of hip replacements in St. Mary's Hospital, Cappagh, Dublin 11; if the waiting times are a result of a lack of financial resources, a staffing shortage, or another reason; and the reason a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9, who has been waiting since November 2000, has been told she will not have her operation until January 2002. [22522/01]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin):

Dedicated funding for waiting list procedures of £74.57 million was allocated from 1997 to 2000 to health agencies to enable hospitals to carry out waiting list procedures and £34.5 million has been allocated under the waiting list initiative for 2001. It is my intention to pursue continual reductions in waiting lists and waiting times for hospital treatment.

The management of waiting lists and waiting times for elective surgery have been identified as priorities for the Eastern Regional Health Authority in the authority's service plan for 2001. The authority has been given an allocation of £17.6 million in 2001 under the waiting list initiative to deal with waiting list target specialties, including orthopaedics.

The specific issues in relation to St. Mary's Hospital, Cappagh, are a matter for the Eastern Regional Health Authority and I have, therefore, asked the chief executive officer at the board to reply directly to the Deputy as a matter of urgency.