Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 April 2026
295. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health for a detailed breakdown of the colonoscopy waiting lists in University Hospital Kerry; the number on the waiting list; the length of time they have been waiting; the number of new referrals; the actions being taken to address these waiting lists; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27832/26]
View answerIt is acknowledged that many patients are still waiting too long for hospital appointments and treatments. I am conscious of the burden that this places on patients and their families.
I published the Waiting Time Action Plan (WTAP) for 2026 on January 30th, as part of this Government’s ongoing commitment to improving access to hospital care and reducing waiting times for patients.
Since the commencement of the multi-annual Action Plan approach in September 2021, significant progress has been made in reducing the length of time patients are waiting.
These improvements have been achieved against the backdrop of increased demand for planned care services. Addressing this increased demand, while also working to sustainably reduce waiting times will require the health service to deliver more core activity through improved productivity and efficiencies, through ongoing reform and new enabling supports, and through targeted additional capacity.
The WTAP sets out six overarching and interconnected targets, which will be achieved through the delivery of 36 actions under the themes of “Reforming Planned Care”, “Enabling Planned Care” and “Capacity Optimisation”.
With the 2026 plan, we will continue to build upon the progress delivered to date under the multi-annual action plan approach, moving towards the ultimate vision of a public healthcare service in which everyone has timely access to high-quality scheduled care, where and when they need it.
National waiting list information by hospital, specialty, and time band is published monthly by the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) on its website: www.ntpf.ie/home/nwld.htm
The information is now being made available through an interactive visual tool which provides users with a much-improved way of accessing and analysing waiting list information.
The specific information requested by the Deputy which is not published on the NTPF website, about the number of patients on the colonoscopy waiting list in University Hospital Kerry is as follows:
At the end of March 2026 there were 544 patients on the colonoscopy waiting list, 458 patients in the 0-6 month time band and 86 patients in the 6-12 month time band.
However, the NTPF has advised that the information requested by the Deputy in respect of the number of new referrals is not readily available.
