85. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the data collected on private practice in public hospitals; the level of private activity occurring in public hospitals; her plan for removing this in its entirety; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52167/26]

Sentiment score: 0.01

I acknowledge all that work. Data is important in this area because it allows us all to hold hospitals and consultants to account and to ensure that the terms of the contracts that people have entered are being honoured. As the Minister knows, the Oireachtas health committee met recently and had witnesses in from the Rotunda hospital, the Department and the HSE. I have been asking questions for the last number of weeks. I asked the Minister parliamentary questions, which were answered by officials or by whom the information was gathered, about private activity in public hospitals and seeking a breakdown on the level of that activity. I am not getting any answers. The same answer comes back which simply has the number of consultants on type B contracts, as opposed to activity. I also asked the Rotunda about whether it can provide data about those consultants on type B contracts who are going beyond the 20%. The hospital said it was not happening or that it had no evidence that it was happening, and that the Department was collecting data on it. However, there does not seem to be information or, if there is, it was not shared with members of the health committee and, by extension, the public. I am asking what information the Minister may have that we do not have.

Sentiment score: 0.03

That is a sensible approach. I do not disagree with it. I welcome the fact that there will be an audit because data is rich when it comes to allowing all of us to see what is happening under the bonnet of hospitals and the level of private activity. I am not against private healthcare, by the way, but it needs to happen in private hospitals. Where it happens in public hospitals, it has to be within the rules. The Minister and I might disagree on many different issues, but where we do agree is that we need to send a message to the healthcare system in its totality that Sláintecare is not up for reconsideration. Removing private healthcare from public hospitals is supported, I hope, by every party in this Dáil. Making sure that contracts that were signed in good faith are honoured is something that we all have to get behind. It is also about making sure that if there is any pushback at all, or any attempt to undermine any of that work, then all of us have a responsibility to watch what is happening and play our respective roles in that. This is one of those important issues in healthcare. I know the Minister is active and vocal with regard to it, but this House and the health committee have a role to play in it as well.

Sentiment score: 0.43

87. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health her plan for tackling primary and community care waiting lists; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52168/26]

Sentiment score: 0.17

This question is in relation to community care waiting lists, which I have been tracking for some time. There are now 280,000 people, unfortunately, on community waiting lists, with many of them waiting far too long. I know the Minister has talked about new initiatives to reduce community waiting lists, which I respect and want to see implemented, but, unfortunately, the numbers have been going in the wrong direction for some time. This important area of healthcare needs more attention.

Sentiment score: -0.09

As I said, 280,000 people are on primary and community care waiting lists. Of those, 86,000 people are waiting for physiotherapy, 60,000 people are waiting for occupational therapy, 34,000 people are waiting for psychology, 32,000 people are waiting for speech and language therapy, 24,000 people are waiting for audiology, 22,000 people are waiting for dietetics, 20,000 people are waiting for ophthalmology and 8,000 people are waiting for podiatry. I submitted a parliamentary question on how long people are waiting because waiting lists are bad enough as it is, but the real test is how long people are waiting. There were some incredible responses. A person in Longford-Westmeath has been on a waiting list for dietetics for 709 weeks. Someone in Louth has been waiting for ophthalmology for 617 weeks. There were several cases in Dublin of people waiting 500 weeks for psychology and a person in Galway has been waiting 534 weeks for occupational therapy. There is a lot to be done in this area. I do not doubt everything the Minister has said in terms of the additional staff and so on, but if Sláintecare is to be delivered and if we are to live up to the potential of the health regions, primary and community care have to be better supported.

Sentiment score: 0.12

I accept all of that. In my constituency of Waterford, I deal with these issues all the time.

Sentiment score: 0.19

We receive representations from people who have been waiting far too long for an occupational therapist or a speech and language therapist. The Minister mentioned children. Very often, children are on these waiting lists. A number of weeks ago, we had a debate in the House on dental services. The number of children waiting for orthodontic treatment and dental treatment is shocking. So much more needs to be done in that area. The Minister of State, Deputy Murnane O'Connor, took the debate on that occasion. One of the benefits of Sláintecare, if it is realised, and the health regions is that it will end the silos and, potentially, the bias of investment in the acute system and recognise that if we have alternatives in primary and community care, we can take real pressure away from our acute hospitals, which is also better for prevention and catching ailments earlier. There is lots of positive stuff happening, for example, enhanced community care and the integrated care programme for older persons. I recognise all of that, but there are still far too many people waiting. As the Minister said, in some specialties, they are waiting far too long. We need to keep the focus on it.

Sentiment score: 0.11