Health (Waiting Lists) Bill 2024: Second Stage [Private Members]
Dail Éireann — 2025-12-11
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Kieran O'Donnell (FG), Limerick City

I thank Deputies Cullinane and Ward for tabling this Bill and facilitating a discussion regarding the length of time people are waiting to access care in our health service. As stated previously, I am taking the debate on behalf of the Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. I thank all the Deputies who contributed to the debate.
As already stated, while recognising the worthwhile intentions and aims of the Deputies in tabling this Bill, the Government is opposing it on the basis that the proposed measures are not necessary in light of the effectiveness of the current arrangements and structures that are already in place. There are rigorous and effective structures and processes in place for setting priorities and targets for delivery of health and social care services. These include the letter of determination, the national service plan and performance oversight within the HSE and between the HSE and the Department, including the waiting list action plan. In terms of the proposed measures to expand upon waiting list reporting set out in the Bill, significant work is already under way to improve and build upon the information available at present. However, the current limitations in relation to the availability of waiting lists to deliver the specific enhancements set out in the Bill would prevent the proposal from being implemented and would thereby undermine the intentional impact of the legislative change being proposed.
With regard to the proposal that the NTPF be made accountable to a committee of the Houses of the Oireachtas, I set out the thorough and extensive measures for oversight and governance of the fund that are in place between the Department and that organisation. In addition, the NTPF is required to appear before the public accounts committee, as specified in the legislation under which it was established. The NTPF has demonstrated willingness to engage with the Oireachtas upon request, including on a number of occasions this year. Obviously, at meetings of the public accounts committee, its representatives are questioned by Deputies on the basis of work done by the Comptroller and Auditor General.
As already outlined, the Government is satisfied the structures already in place are appropriate to ensure effective priorities and target setting as well as the live and extensive reporting of waiting list information. In addition, access to accurate data about patients waiting for service across the system is recognised as being crucial to how we can facilitate access to those services. However, it is important to remember that these are only aspects of the solution to address the key issue of the length of time people are waiting for treatment. The improvements achieved in terms of acute hospital waiting lists and waiting times are being driven by specific actions aimed at increasing capacity and embedding reform by means of the waiting list action plan approach. Examples of this include the ongoing establishment of the surgical hubs around the country and the further roll-out of modernised care pathways.
Embedding reform actions in our system will ensure the most efficient use of available resources in a patient-centred way, including initiative seeking to optimise the patient pathway from referral to discharge. The implementation and progression of the multi-annual action plan approach is not happening in isolation. The longer term reform of scheduled care and reduction in waiting times is interconnected with and influenced by a number of developments across the health service. This includes the continued focus on productivity and efficiency improvements and the shift of more care into community settings and alternative care pathways. These interdependencies underline the complexity of the system of the system and how an integrated and holistic approach is needed to ensure waiting times are improved across the health service to ensure people have access to the care they need when they need it.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2025-12-11/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-27T06:54:48+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-12-11