The Tánaiste is aware that yesterday, when the outgoing British Prime Minister, Mr. David Cameron, left Downing Street, he was able to state 800 people in the entire United Kingdom had been waiting more than one year for an operation. Is she aware that this figure equates almost exactly to the number of patients waiting in Limerick alone for more than one year for an operation? More than 1,000 patients are waiting in Waterford and 3,200 in Galway. What steps will the Government take to halt and reverse this farce?

As the Deputy knows, the Government is absolutely committed to improving waiting times for patients, with a particular focus on those patients who have been waiting the longest. The Minister for Health will meet the director of the HSE again this week to discuss the very issue raised by the Deputy. There will also be a new initiative which is part of the agreement in the programme for Government whereby the National Treatment Purchase Fund will be used. There will be an allocation of €15 million in 2017 for an initiative targeted at those who have been waiting the longest. It is part of the continued investment of €50 million a year to reduce waiting lists.

The Department is engaging with the NTPF and the HSE in planning a dedicated waiting list initiative, which will be rolled out later this year. It is important to note that more than 60% of patients on waiting lists wait less than six months for their required care and 94% wait less than the maximum waiting time of 15 months, so we are determined to address the issue. The €500 million given to the Department of Health and agreed in this House last week will ensure that those waiting times are reduced further.