Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions
Dail Éireann — 2026-01-14
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Micheál Martin (FF), Cork South-Central

Ar dtús báire ní aontaím leis an Teachta go hiomlán mar ar an taobh eile den scéal tá dul chun cinn le feiscint i gcuid mhaith nithe sa córas sláinte agus caithfear é sin a adhmháil mar aon le gach scéal eile. The key issue with waiting lists is waiting times and that always has to be the target. The shorter the time someone has to wait for an operation or other intervention, the better the outcome, and that is always the priority in respect of capacity and waiting times.
Over the last while, we have had the biggest expansion of access to free GP care in the history of the State, so it is not a shambolic health service. We have had a 12% reduction in patients on waiting lists exceeding 12 months and a reduction in average times from 7.2 months to 6.5 months at the end of 2024. That is the average waiting time. That is against the backdrop of a 9% increase in outpatients and a 5% increase in inpatient and day case attendances. There is a lot more to achieve and we have a lot more to do here. I acknowledge that. We want to get to the ten-to-12-week waiting time under Sláintecare objectives, and funding has been allocated, but I do think we need to see things in perspective. The Deputy describes it as "shambolic". It not shambolic.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-01-14/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:30+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-01-14