The primary care service operators in County Wexford are creaking at the knees. Occupational therapists, OTs, in the community health organisation, CHO, 5 south-east area are burned out and under enormous pressure due to the current workload from a long list of clients waiting for appointments and treatment. The integrated health area, IHA, in County Wexford has a total of 1,643 children on waiting lists, almost double that of any other area. There are 132 children aged five or under waiting over 12 months, while 434 five- to 17-year-olds have been on the list for over two years. Nineteen five-year-olds, along with 305 17-year-olds, have been waiting for over three years. The list goes on. There are 252 children, to be exact, waiting on primary care occupational therapy services for between four and five years in total. Will the Tánaiste investigate these unacceptable delays and seek an explanation as to why this is happening? These are children who require an immediate intervention. The longer the delay, the more they will regress. The sooner the treatment starts, the sooner they will progress.

I thank Deputy Mythen for raising this issue in relation to primary care services in County Wexford and the impact it is having on children waiting longer periods on waiting lists. I will certainly raise this issue with the Minister for Health and ask that she discuss it specifically with that CHO and the HSE to see what more can be done to make progress. I will ask the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, to come back to the Deputy directly.