Page 60 of the programme for Government has commitments on improving waiting times for patients. I have raised several times the issue of Cork University Maternity Hospital, whereby large numbers of women are kept waiting for gynaecological services. The inpatient number has doubled to over 1,000 over the past year. The business case has been made by the hospital. The Minister has reviewed the case and made a commitment on it. One of the key aspects is the opening of the second gynaecological theatre, a theatre that has never been opened since the hospital was opened in 2007. There are now over 1,000 inpatients on the waiting list. Can the Taoiseach intervene? Can he ask for the funding to be released and the business case to be approved?

It is a question for the Minister. We have to review all of this during the summer.

I am afraid it is a question for the Minister for Health but I will mention to him that the Deputy raised it. I appreciate that there are very long waiting lists for gynaecological procedures in many parts of the country but I should acknowledge much of the progress that has been made. Just in the past two years, the number of people waiting more than 12 weeks for a cataract procedure, hip or knee replacement, tonsil operation, angiogram or vein procedure is down by more than half. In some areas, we are making some good progress.