More than 30,000 people are on waiting lists for hospital treatment, according to figures released yesterday by the Minister for Health, Mr Cowen.

They include 1,608 adults and children who are awaiting cardiac surgery. In reply to written questions from Mr Alan Shatter (FG, Dublin South) the Minister said that £1.7 million had been set aside to deal specifically with the cardiac surgery list under the "1997 Waiting List Initiative".

There are a total of 102 children awaiting cardiac treatment. Of that number, 41 have been waiting up to six months and 61 for more than six months. The figures show that 589 patients have been waiting more than three years for cardiac surgery, while 162 people have between two and three years.

A total of 320 have been waiting between one and two years for cardiac surgery. Some 337 people are on the list for up to six months and 200 have been waiting for heart surgery for between six months and a year. The figures show that the longest waiting list up to June of this year - of 6,592 patients - is for ear, nose and throat treatments. This is an increase of 628 since September last year.

Orthopaedic patients make up the second longest list with 5,983 patients. Ophthalmology patients waiting for treatment number 2,486 and 2,095 women are awaiting gynaecological treatment.

A waiting list for plastic surgery dropped from 1,700 in September of last year to 1,408 last June. The majority - 1,046 - are for "functional" surgery while 63 are for cosmetic procedures.

The Minister's figures also included the waiting lists in each of the State's hospitals. In Dublin, the Mater Hospital has the longest list with 2,845 patients, while St James's Hospital has 2,390 people on its list followed by Beaumont with 2,309 patients.

Some 2,079 patients are on Gal- way's University College Hospital waiting list and Tullamore General Hospital is next with 1,556 patients.