€172m spent but hospital waiting list continues to grow

THE Government has seen waiting list figures grow instead of decrease despite having spent €172m on the problem.

Breaking a key election promise to cut waiting times, the Government finally revealed the latest figures yesterday five months after they were due.

The figures show Health Minister Micheál Martin has failed to fulfil his pre-election promise that, by the end of 2002, no adult would wait longer than 12 months and no child longer than six months for hospital treatment.