The head of the Irish Patients Association says it's heartbreaking to see so many people waiting for essential healthcare in Ireland.
Almost 1.3 million people are on a HSE waiting list, with 200 thousand people awaiting therapy services.
It's estimated it will take the system up to 11 years to clear the patient backlogs.
Stephen McMahon of the Irish Patients Association says someone needs to be held accountable for the huge increase in waiting times:
"If you look at a doctor or a pharmacist or an allied professional, they are all regulated by regulators and should they be seen to be not competent in performing their duties, they can actually lose their livelihoods and really there isn't the same degree of accountability within the system."
