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Ireland’s national hospital waiting lists rose again last month (July 2026), with more than 990,870 patients recorded as waiting for an appointment or treatment.
The total increased by more than 9,500 patients compared with June 2026, according to figures published by the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF).
Outpatient appointments continued to account for the largest share. More than 683,540 patients were waiting to attend an outpatient department for the first time at the end of July, up from approximately 673,750 one month earlier.
Almost 36,000 additional patients were classified as suspended. These patients are temporarily unable or medically unfit to attend, or are receiving treatment through insourcing or outsourcing initiatives. They are not included in the principal waiting-list total.
This national increase came as separate figures showed progress in children’s spinal care.
Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) reported that the number of children and young people waiting for spinal surgery had fallen to 199, compared with 231 at the end of July 2025.
Since January, 229 procedures have been added to the surgical waiting list, while 279 spinal operations have been completed. Seven patients have waited between 12 and 15 months, two between 18 and 24 months, and one between 24 and 36 months.
CHI’s spinal outpatient waiting list also declined to 431 patients, down 22.6% from 557 a year earlier. The average wait for a first outpatient appointment fell from 7.4 months to 3.9 months, with 99.5% of patients waiting less than a year.
CHI chief executive Ms Lucy Nugent said the figures demonstrated continued progress in reducing waiting times and helping children receive the care they need. The organisation is aiming to complete 540 spinal procedures by the end of 2026.
More than half of the cigarette packs examined in a new industry-commissioned survey did not carry evidence that Irish excise duty had been paid.
The 2026 Empty Pack Survey, conducted on behalf of Japan Tobacco International (JTI) Ireland, examined 5,000 discarded cigarette packs collected from streets and public bins in 22 of Ireland’s largest towns and cities. The packs were gathered between February 16th and April 3rd last.
According to the then findings, 57% were classified as non-Irish duty paid, mNo Duty Paid on image suppliedeaning Irish taxes had not been paid on them. However, this category includes both illegal tobacco and cigarettes legally purchased abroad and subsequently brought into Ireland.
Fourteen per cent of all packs examined were identified as counterfeit. Counterfeit cigarettes are manufactured without the brand owner’s permission and are generally produced to imitate legitimate products, deceive consumers and evade taxation.
Significant geographical differences were reported. Galway recorded the country’s highest proportion of non-Irish duty-paid packs, at 75%. Swords followed at 66%, according to the published results. Wexford had the highest reported counterfeit rate, with counterfeit products accounting for 25% of packs collected there. Ennis recorded a rate of 20%, followed by Waterford at 19%.
The survey covered 22 towns and cities, but the accessible reports do not indicate that Clonmel, Nenagh, Thurles or another Tipperary location was included.
Researchers assessed the discarded packs to establish their likely origin, examine their tax markings and determine whether they were authentic.
The findings should be interpreted with some caution. Because the research was commissioned by a tobacco company and relied on discarded packs, it does not necessarily represent the proportion of all cigarettes consumed or sold in Ireland. Empty-pack studies also cannot establish whether every non-Irish duty-paid pack entered the country illegally.
The latest official comparison currently available is Revenue and the HSE’s independently conducted 2024 survey of packs held by smokers. It classified 26% as illegal and another 11% as legal but non-Irish duty paid. Counterfeits represented less than 1% of the illegal packs in that study.
It was with a great sadness that we learned of the death, yesterday Wednesday 12th August 2026, of Mr Vincent Duggan, Dublin and formerly of Piercetown House, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
Pre-deceased by his wife Lita, parents Pat and Josephine; Mr Duggan, sadly, passed away suddenly, while in the care of staff at the Mater Hospital, Dublin.
His passing is most deeply regretted, sadly missed and lovingly remembered by his sorrowing family; loving daughters Laura and Katie, grandchildren, brothers Pat, Liam and Theo, sisters Anna (Harrington), Margaret (Quinlan) and Mary (Hackett), nephews, nieces, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, cousins, extended relatives, neighbours and friends.
Requiescat in Pace.
Funeral Arrangements.
The earthly remains of Mr Duggan will repose at Hugh Ryan’s Funeral Home, Slievenamon Road, Thurles, (Eircode E44 CP59), on Saturday afternoon next, August 15th, from 5:00pm until 7:00pm, before being received into the Cathedral of the Assumption, Cathedral Street, Thurles, (Eircode E41 A528), at 8:00pm same evening.
Requiem Mass for Mr Duggan will be offered on Sunday morning, August 16th, at 11:00am, followed by interment, immediately afterwards in St Patrick’s Cemetery, Moyne Road, Lognafulla, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
For those persons who would wish to attend Requiem Mass for Mr Duggan, but for reasons cannot, same can be viewed streamed live online, HERE.
The extended Duggan family wish to express their appreciation for your understanding at this difficult time, and have made arrangements for those persons wishing to send messages of condolence, to use the link shown HERE.
In ár gcroíthe go deo.
“People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones”
Geoffrey Chaucer 1385, in his epic poem Troilus and Criseyde (Book II) wrote: “Who that hath an hed of verre, Fro cast of stones war hym in the werre!”,
(Translated: “He who has a head of glass should beware of hostile stones.”)
The phrase warns against hypocrisy.
Sinn Féin justice spokesperson Mr Matt Carthy says violent offenders should “serve the custodial sentence that they were given.”
He raised questions after Ms Alison Chawke was released under supervision, after serving only four weeks of an effective 12-month sentence for a serious assault.
Ms Chawke had received an effective 12-month custodial sentence. She had served approximately four weeks, before entering the Community Return Scheme.
She remains strictly supervised by the Probation Service and must perform unpaid work; the scheme is formally restricted to prisoners assessed as posing no threat to the community.
But where was this absolute principle when Sinn Féin supported the accelerated release of republican prisoners under the Good Friday Agreement?
A total of 428 republican and Loyalist paramilitary prisoners received early release, including 143 serving life sentences. Among the first 248 released, official figures show that 78 had been convicted of murder.
Sinn Féin strongly supported the Agreement and its prisoner-release provisions.
The Good Friday Agreement was an exceptional peace settlement, endorsed by voters, and its releases cannot simply be equated with an ordinary criminal-justice decision. Nevertheless, Mr Carthy cannot credibly declare that all violent offenders must serve their full custodial sentences without acknowledging the major exception his very own political party supported.
He is entitled to question Ms Chawke’s release, the risk assessment and the effect of prison overcrowding.
But consistency matters.
If early release can be justified for people convicted of murder to advance peace, Sinn Féin should explain why supervised release can never be justified for rehabilitation or prison management today.
Otherwise, its position looks less like a consistent principle and more like political hypocrisy.
It was with a great sadness that we learned of the death, yesterday Wednesday 12th August 2026, of Mrs Mary-Ellen Anthony (Toni) Wolf (née Lupton), Lackbrack, Curraglass, Co. Cork, and formerly of Templemore, Co. Tipperary and Tallow, Co. Waterford.
Pre-deceased by her parents Tom and Eileen and her brother Harry; Mrs Wolf passed away peacefully.
Her passing is most deeply regretted, sadly missed and lovingly remembered by her sorrowing family; loving daughters Siobhan and Kate (Wolf) and Marcia (Weldon), brothers John, Bill, Frank and Oliver, sisters-in-law, husband Lothar Wolf, nieces, nephews, extended relatives, neighbours and friends.
Rest In Peace.
Funeral Arrangements.
The remains of Mrs Wolf will repose at Aidan Walsh & Sons Funeral Home, Tallow, Co. Waterford, on Monday afternoon next, August 17th from 5:00pm until 7:00pm same evening.
Funeral service will take place at mid-day on Tuesday, August 18th, at 12:00 noon, in same Funeral Home, Tallow, followed later by a private Service of Cremation.
For those persons who would wish to attend Funeral Service for Mrs Wolf, but for reasons cannot, same can be viewed streamed live online, HERE.
The extended Wolf and Lupton families wish to express their appreciation for your understanding at this difficult time, and have made arrangements for those persons wishing to send messages of condolence, to use the link shown HERE.
Note Please: Family Flowers Only. Donations in lieu, if desired, to “The Burren Animal Rescue”
In ár gcroíthe go deo.
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