A man has been told he must wait six years and nine months for a follow-up ophthalmologist appointment in Cork University Hospital.

36-year-old Danny Doyle suffers from osteogenesis imperfecta, or "brittle bones disease".

He told Newstalk Breakfast about Ireland's "crazy" healthcare system, which has kept him waiting years for vital care.

Doyle also has an eye condition since an accident in Manchester in 2006.

"The taxi I was in after the game got struck by a tram so I was rushed to Manchester Royal Hospital and I suffered a brain injury."

"Because of the impact, I had lost my eye."

Doyle was cared for by the UK's NHS until 2011, when he moved back to the HSE. He was put on a waiting list to be seen by an ophthalmologist.

Pandemic

"All the medical professionals tell me I have to get a follow-up appointment every year because I have to protect the one eye I have."

Doyle eventually got an appointment in 2018, nearly seven years after he was initially put on the waiting list. He hasn't seen an ophthalmologist since.

During the pandemic, Doyle said he received a letter telling him that Cork University Hospital would only see those in need of "urgent eye care".

He was given two options: Go to A&E or get his GP to refer him again.

"That makes no sense."

"Where is the money going?"

Doyle's condition is expected to deteriorate over time if not managed carefully.

He compared the HSE to the NHS, saying they're "like chalk and cheese".

"I was in the UK and it's multi-discipline teams, you know, and they're all communicating", he said. "But because of my brittle bone condition, I have multiple other doctors."

"What I don't understand is the money that's being pumped into this health service."

"I pay my taxes. Where is the money going?"