John Crown (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have a developed a little bit of nerve deafness myself over the last decade and have permanent tinnitus for the last 12 years, so it is an area of personal interest to me as well. Perhaps this is on the fringe, but I think I can recall some kind of opposition to the idea of cochlear implants, and not one that I would have bought into at the time. It was more like a quasi-political opposition by folks in the hearing-impaired community. I thought at the time that it was a very unwise line to be following. Has that been sorted out?

One of the things which reduces waiting lists in the HSE and in many other health services is private insurance for many patients. Do private insurers cover implants?