Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate
Dail Éireann — 2026-09-16
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Frankie Feighan (FG), Sligo-Leitrim

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and for giving me the opportunity to provide an update to the House on this important matter on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill.
I acknowledge the importance of addressing the long waiting lists. Many patients are still waiting too long for hospital appointments and treatments and the Government is conscious of the burden that this places on patients and their families as the Deputy rightly outlined. The Government has invested significantly in South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital and its budget has increased from €62.5 million in 2020 to over €102.5 million in 2026, an increase of 64%. Staffing at the hospital has also grown by 33.6% since 2020 and significant capital projects have been completed in recent years, including the refurbishment of two theatres to facilitate the relocation of ophthalmic surgery from Cork University Hospital to the infirmary in 2022. These investments contribute to allow more capacity for more activity in SIVUH.
There has been an 8% decrease in the orthopaedic inpatient and day case waiting list when compared to the same period last year. Currently, 330 patients are waiting for a procedure. However, there is a 10% increase in orthopaedic outpatient waiting list when compared to the same period last year. Overall outpatient referrals at the hospital have increased by over 4% across all specialties inthe first six months of 2026 when compared with the same period last year. Therefore, while capacity has increased, the referral rate is also increasing.
There are multiple streams through which this is being addressed. The Waiting Time Action Plan 2026 embodies the Government's commitment to reducing waiting times for these patients and patients everywhere. Under the National Treatment Purchase Fund, outsourcing initiatives are ongoing for suitable patients, focusing specifically on those patients waiting the longest. Some 800 patients have been offered this option so far in 2026. This involves a full package of care, including both outpatient review and procedure.
Physiotherapy-led musculoskeletal clinics are run for suitable patients on the orthopaedic outpatient waiting list. Here patients are seen and treated by a physiotherapist while they remain on the outpatient waiting list to see a consultant. Additional weekend clinics are being run to address the longest-waiting patients. Four weekend sessions have taken place in the last three weeks. South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital is also running evening clinics to address the longest-waiting patients in relation to upper limbs. From this Friday, 18 September, additional theatre capacity will also become operational at the hospital. This has been supported through additional funding for an existing theatre to facilitate additional sessions each week. The theatre will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. initially and once the full complement of staff is in place, the extended day will commence with theatre schedules running until 10.30 p.m.
The Cork surgical hub is anticipated to be operational by the end of this month. The hub is part of Government's commitment to increasing elective care capacity through a national network of surgical hubs to meet medium-term demand. With an initial focus on the longest waiting patients, this surgical hub will have a significant impact on waiting lists through the delivery of additional activity for high-volume, low complexity day cases across 12 specialties, including orthopaedics. Once fully operational, each new surgical hub is expected to deliver additional annual activity of up to 18,500 outpatient appointments.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-09-16/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-28T05:50:48+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-09-16