Mr. David Keegan:

It is nothing the Senator has not heard before.

Evidence of the benefits of introducing a strategy on health already has been felt in Ireland. The cancer strategy of 2006 already has led to improved patient survival rates for cancer and improved patient care. Crucially, Ireland also is delivering globally relevant groundbreaking research in this field. The National Vision Coalition believes this can be reproduced in respect of blindness. The evidence for vision strategies also is available from Denmark and Scotland, with reductions of 50% in blindness rates due to macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy identified in those countries. The recent establishment of the diabetic retinopathy screening and treatment programme, Diabetic RetinaScreen, and the HSE’s national programme for eye care have provided a real opportunity to achieve improved outcomes for patients with sight loss in Ireland. At present,there are approximately 147,000 diabetics on the national diabetic register under this programme , more than 6,500 of whom already have sight-threatening retinopathy. The total projected cost of this programme over the next six years to include screening, treatment and sight-related costs is approximately €100 million. While this cost will peak in 2015 and 2016, we expect a net saving as we move into 2017 and 2018. Although the gross figure of €100 million seems high, the net figure, when one takes into account the savings from preventing of blindness and vision impairment, is €21 million or €145 per diabetic patient over six years. Moreover, as I noted, this will edge towards savings after the six-year period. The programme will also prevent 235 cases of blindness, nearly 700 cases of moderate vision impairment and nearly 2,000 cases of mild vision impairment. For some, it will mean they can stay working and continue to contribute while for others, it means they can keep their independence and live on their own or continue to drive.

Our job individually within the coalition is to look after patients at risk of, or affected by, sight loss and blindness. We are asking members to help us to fulfil that role in the public interest by the adoption of this coherent national vision strategy, which pulls together all the existing and proposed components of eye care, thereby allowing us to work collectively. A fully implemented strategy reducing preventable blindness will save thousands of Irish people from blindness and vision impairment while saving the Exchequer up to €76 million per annum. I again thank the joint committee for the chance to talk about the cost burden of blindness in Ireland and will pass members of to Mr. Des Kenny to conclude.