Earlier this month, I raised the issue of the outrageous waiting times for people waiting for DEXA bone scans at Tipperary University Hospital. This is an essential procedure used by doctors trying to assess patients' needs. It is very serious in the context of the risk of osteoporosis and many other issues. The scans are crucial for doctors to know how to deal with patients yet a reply I received on 13 November informed me the waiting time in Tipperary is 22 months. That is outrageous. It is beyond belief. How is a doctor supposed to treat patients and advise what is wrong with them or what course of action to take if they have to wait 22 months - almost two years - for this scan? It beggars belief and it is not fair to people who have these issues and could be developing osteoporosis and other forms of illness. Something has to be done about this. It is not acceptable by any manner or means.

I agree it is not acceptable that people should wait that length of time. As the Deputy is aware, our target is that nobody should wait more than ten to 12 weeks to see a specialist or to have an operation or investigation they need. Unfortunately, hundreds of thousands of people still have to wait longer than that time. In terms of the particular waiting list referred to by the Deputy, I do not know the details of that but I will make inquiries with the Minister for Health and reply in more detail next week.