Mary Moran (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I formally second the motion and I am delighted the Fianna Fáil Senators agree with it. It is great and another example of the work we can do in the Seanad with cross-party support. I also congratulate the Minister, Deputy Varadkar, on his appointment and wish him the best of luck in that challenging role. I have no doubt that he will be very successful in it.

I am delighted to formally second the motion. Helen Keller once said that, of all the senses, sight must be the most delightful, which is a very true statement. I would like to welcome the Minister to the House. I also welcome the members of the National Vision Coalition who are here for the debate.

It is startling to hear that up to 80% of the world's blindness is avoidable. It is this statistic that the World Health Organisation has focused on in its Vision 2020 programme, which aims to eliminate avoidable blindness by 2020. It is almost ten years since the Irish Government committed to the objections of Vision 2020 and, in those intervening years, there have been many positive developments in tackling the issue of avoidable sight loss in Ireland. The policy document Healthy Ireland, which the Government published in March 2013, provides a framework for action to address the health issues of all, with an emphasis on prevention and early intervention.

The establishment of the HSE national programme for eye care is a key element of this objective, with the focus on prevention and early intervention, equitable access to efficient high-quality care, supports and treatments and the development of cost-effective care pathways, with the person at the heart of the process. The overall aims are to reduce the number of annual cases of preventable blindness and visual impairment and to maintain the vision of those with impairment for as long as possible, enabling them to live independently.

There are currently 224,000 people with low vision and sight loss in Ireland. Five people per week became blind between 2010 and 2013 and this figure is likely to rise as our population ages unless we take remedial action. I thank Senator Conway for bringing this fact to our attention because there are many facts I was simply not aware of. The current Central Statistics Office projections estimate that the number of people aged 65 and older in Ireland will almost double over the period 2006 to 2026. Unfortunately, as we age, we are at an increased risk of vision loss due to an increased likelihood of developing diseases such as diabetes, glaucoma, cataracts and macular degeneration.

Diabetes is fast becoming a global epidemic, with 366 million people living with this disease worldwide. The main cause of blindness associated with diabetes is diabetic retinopathy. Poorly controlled blood sugars, high blood pressure and high cholesterol increase the risk of developing vision problems. The establishment of the diabetic retinopathy screening programme, which commenced in March 2013, has been a very important development in the early intervention and treatment of this condition. The programme offers free, regular screening to people with diabetes aged 12 and over and, at the end of 2014, invitations to attend screening had been sent out to 109,000 people, with the remainder of the 145,000 on the register to be seen by the end of the year.

Traditionally, the provision of eye health in Ireland has been based on a community approach, with the aim of providing country-wide services which are accessible to the service user. The benefit to the client is that they can be seen and treated in their local area by the ophthalmic team, and this fits in well with the emphasis on early detection of potentially serious conditions. The national programme for eye care has reviewed the school eye screening programme currently provided by the HSE with a view to incorporating best international practice on the screening of children. As a result of this review, there will be changes in the national vision screening programme to ensure that children who fail the screening have quick access to specialist services, which is vital. There are also plans to expand the role of orthoptists and optometrists working under the governance of an ophthalmologist, as well as comprehensive training for public health nurses and area medical officers, all of which will have a positive impact on waiting times and patient numbers.

The National Vision Coalition produced a report, The Economic Cost and Burden of Eye Diseases and Preventable Blindness in Ireland, detailing the impact of sight loss. Not only is it a major personal tragedy, sight loss also has a significant economic impact on individuals, families, society in general and the State. Some 2.1 million work days are lost each year in Ireland for this reason. The financial cost to the Departments of Finance, Social Protection and Health was €386 million in 2012, and this is expected to rise to €449 million by 2020. However, it is estimated that savings of up to €76 million could be made annually if there were effective early intervention and treatment programmes in place. In addition to having a hugely significant impact on the lives of people at risk of sight loss, the return on investment from the State perspective is considerable. This is something we need to consider seriously as our population ages.

The National Vision Coalition sets out in the report the need for us to build on the strong service delivery record and commitment of the various professionals who work in the area of eye care in Ireland. There is a very wide range of services and service providers working in this field, supporting the 220,000 people living in Ireland who are blind or visually impaired. There is certainly a need for a greater level of integration and co-ordination to ensure that resources are used in the most optimal way. The two main areas for us to focus on are preventative services and supports, and also to review how we can make life better for people with sight loss by promoting inclusion, participation and independence for them. I would ask the Minister to implement whatever strategies are necessary to continue the work that has begun and to ensure the objectives of Vision 2020 are met.

I thank Senator Conway and the Fine Gael senators for putting forward this motion. I welcome the fact we will, hopefully, have cross-party support for the motion.