Sinn Féin TD for Dublin South West Seán Crowe has called for a new national plan to tackle waiting lists for diagnostic scans.

Teachta Crowe made his comments after figures from the HSE revealed that 26,649 people were waiting on diagnostic scans in Tallaght university Hospital at the end of Q2 this year. Of this figure, 6,176 had been waiting for longer than 18 months.

Teachta Crowe said:

“A staggering 26,649 people are on waiting lists in Tallaght University Hospital for diagnostic scans such as CTs, MRIs, and ultrasounds.

“Over 6,000 of these people have been waiting longer than 18 months, which is a travesty that this government must answer for.

“Across the state, almost 300,000 people are stuck waiting on these vital scans, including over 10,000 children on CHI waiting lists.

“These shocking figures show just how badly this government is failing to deliver timely access to basic healthcare.

“Timely access to scans is essential. This is not just an administrative target, it’s a crucial part of a patient’s health journey. Scans help diagnose whether a health problem exists, and they are often the key step that allows care to move to the next stage. Without them, treatment plans are delayed, illnesses can worsen, and patients are left waiting in fear and uncertainty.

“We need a national plan to increase diagnostic capacity right across the health service. That means more scanners, longer opening hours, and more radiographers and radiologists to run them. The technology is no good if we don’t have the people to deliver the service.

“This crisis is not new, but it is getting worse. Patients deserve better – they deserve a health system that sees them quickly, diagnoses them early, and treats them on time. The government must act now to end these unacceptable delays.”