Some 619 patients throughout the State are on the urgent waiting list for a bed at the national neurosurgery centre in Beaumont, according to the admissions office at the Dublin hospital.
All of these patients have a life-threatening condition or require a life-changing neurosurgical operation to save them from paralysis, according to a senior surgeon at the hospital.
Prof Ciarán Bolger, head of research and development in neurosurgery at the national neurosurgery centre at Beaumont and head of clinical neurosurgery at the Royal College of Surgeons, said people were dying unnecessarily as a result of the Republic's inadequate neurosurgery service.
"The service is a complete mess," he said. "People are dying and being damaged unnecessarily . . . [ and] are being left permanently crippled or paralysed because of the waiting list. Life becomes a major burden for them, their families and the State. It's tragic."
The Republic has eight neurosurgeons, five in Beaumont and three in Cork University Hospital, the only other hospital with a neurosurgery department.
"Per head of population, we have half the number of required neurosurgeons than the UK," Prof Bolger said, "and the UK has the lowest number of neurosurgeons in Europe. Ireland should have at least 16."
He said the service was better 25 years ago. "We had more facilities and fewer people to treat."
There were six neurosurgeons at Beaumont until one retired in April. "We were promised a locum but that hasn't happened."
Prof Bolger added that a neurosurgeon had been appointed and would begin work in September but until then, the others would have to make up for the shortage.
"If a GP writes to me today to refer someone, I won't be able to see them until 2008."
He said each consultant had about 100 urgent patients. "All of these people have life-threatening or function-threatening conditions." A further 22 urgent patients are already in hospital awaiting transfer to Beaumont.
The centre has 60 neurosurgical beds and 10 intensive-care beds. There are many more non-urgent patients on a waiting list, "but they don't have a hope of getting in", said Prof Bolger.