Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. I want to home in on the data in regard to the 12-month waiting list. The Minister of State’s figures are from March 2023 and state that there were 341 children. My figures are from February 2023 and there were 343, so we have literally taken two children off that long-term waiting list in a month. I do not want to do the maths on this but if we are to continue to take just two per month off the long-term waiting list, I am already grey and I would be bald by the time this thing is over. We need to have a serious look at what needs to be done. I realise there are staffing issues. However, we can do it in other areas. If Dublin can be down to zero with regard to 12-month waiting lists, what is it doing that we are not doing? What can be taken from the Dublin experience, and in particular the north Dublin area, where no child is waiting more than 12 months while we have 341 children waiting? It is a frightening statistic.

It is not about politics. Deputy Mary Butler is a brilliant Minister of State and a lovely person. However, this is something that we have to look at. An initiative has to be put in place nationally. It has to involve everybody in the entire services because unless we get people into Cork and Kerry shortly, I do not know what will happen. This is as serious as it gets.