Written Answers Nos. 699-720
699. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any target or strategy exists within the Health Service Executive to reduce the number of vacant residential properties within its estate portfolio. [36263/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
700. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the estimated market value of vacant residential properties currently owned or managed by the Health Service Executive. [36264/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
701. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Health Service Executive maintains a unified national asset register for all residential properties owned, leased, or managed by the organisation; whether this register records occupancy status in real time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36265/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
702. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any residential properties owned by the Health Service Executive have remained vacant due to legal disputes, title issues, probate issues, planning constraints, staffing allocation decisions, or refurbishment delays; and if she will provide a breakdown by category. [36266/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
703. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Health Service Executive has conducted any assessment of the potential housing capacity represented by currently vacant residential properties within its estate portfolio; and if she will provide details of same. [36267/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
704. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any vacant residential properties owned by the Health Service Executive are currently considered unsuitable for occupation; the reasons for such classification; and the estimated remediation cost associated with these properties. [36268/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
705. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Health Service Executive has received any recommendations from the Comptroller and Auditor General, Internal Audit, or external consultants concerning the management of vacant or surplus residential property since 2020; and if she will provide details of such recommendations. [36269/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
706. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Department of Health has issued any direction, guidance, instruction, or expectation to the Health Service Executive concerning the acceleration of disposal, reuse, or redevelopment of vacant residential properties since 2020. [36270/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra707. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of residential properties owned by the Health Service Executive currently being used for staff accommodation; and the occupancy rate associated with such properties. [36271/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
708. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any residential properties owned by the Health Service Executive have been offered for social or affordable housing use in conjunction with local authorities or approved housing bodies since 2020; and if she will provide details. [36272/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
709. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any service-level agreements, performance targets, or governance frameworks exist between the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive regarding estate utilisation and vacancy management. [36273/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra710. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department considers prolonged residential vacancy within publicly owned health estates to constitute a governance or value-for-money risk; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36274/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra711. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of persons currently awaiting orthopaedic outpatient consultations for possible knee replacement surgery for more than , six months, twelve months and, eighteen months, by hospital.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36275/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra712. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the average period of time between an orthopaedic outpatient consultation and placement on an inpatient surgical waiting list for knee replacement surgery. [36276/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra713. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE distinguishes publicly between persons awaiting outpatient orthopaedic assessment and persons formally placed on inpatient orthopaedic surgical waiting lists; and if she will provide details of same. [36277/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra714. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health number of patients currently awaiting knee replacement surgery who are not yet formally recorded on an inpatient waiting list because they remain awaiting outpatient assessment. [36278/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra715. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any national prioritisation criteria exist for orthopaedic patients experiencing severe chronic pain, mobility deterioration or loss of independence while awaiting assessment or surgery. [36279/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra716. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the average total pathway waiting time from GP referral to completed knee replacement surgery in each HSE region. [36280/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra717. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department or HSE has assessed the extent to which outpatient bottlenecks are contributing to delays in access to orthopaedic surgery. [36281/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra718. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether additional orthopaedic assessment clinics or theatre capacity are planned in 2026 to address delays in knee replacement pathways. [36282/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra719. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of orthopaedic patients removed from waiting lists in each of the past three years due to administrative review, non-response, or reclassification. [36283/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra720. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether patients awaiting orthopaedic surgery are routinely informed whether they are on an outpatient assessment list or a formal inpatient surgical waiting list. [36284/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 711 to 720, inclusive, together.
The National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) is responsible for the collection, collation and validation of acute hospital waiting lists. Adult and child waiting list information for outpatient, inpatient/daycase (IPDC) and GI scopes by hospital and specialty is published monthly 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 waiting lists are compiled based on information provided by individual hospitals in accordance with agreed National Waiting List Protocols also published on the NTPF website. The Protocols provide guidance to hospital staff working in scheduled care or waiting list management to enable a consistent, standardised and user-friendly approach to the active management and scheduling of patients awaiting access to care.
While the Protocols provide detailed guidance on the management of outpatient, IPDC an GI Scopes waiting lists, on a general point it should be noted that an outpatient appointment is required to determine if surgery is required. If it is so determined, only then is the patient placed, with immediate effect, on the IPDC waiting list.
Administrative validation data at speciality level was introduced in 2025. In that year 14,097 patients were removed from orthopaedic waiting lists. This included patients who responded “no” to a validation letter, thereby confirming their preference to be removed from their respective waiting list, as well as patients who did not respond to a letter. All patients who are removed from waiting lists through administrative validation are removed in accordance with the relevant National Waiting List Protocol.
The Government acknowledges that there are too many patients on acute hospital waiting lists, and many of those patients are waiting too long for care.
We are focussed on having a public healthcare service in which everyone has timely access to high-quality scheduled care, where and when they need it.
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.
The multi-annual Action Plan approach was implemented in September 2021 to sustainably reduce and reform hospital waiting lists and waiting times. Significant progress has been made under this approach in reducing the length of time patients are waiting.
