Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am coming to my last question. What efforts are being made in various occupations to bring about the elimination of hearing risks? For instance, there was an emphasis in this regard some years ago in relation to deafness as an issue in the Army. I think, generally, this was handled and resolved to the greatest extent possible. Many people, however, are still working in workplaces where the noise is unbelievable. Let us take power stations as the classic example of where the engines in use have a really rasping impact on the hearing system. These are high-powered two- or four-stroke diesel engines. Some of us have worked in close proximity with them in the past.

I remember when you got off a vehicle in that environment and then sat down to look at television at night, it was necessary to switch the sound down to the lowest possible setting to prevent an impact on the hearing system. I never understood why that should have been the case. I would have presumed that one's hearing would be less sensitive after exposure to that type of noise, but, in fact, it was actually more sensitive. It was possible to hear at a greater distance, with sounds being sharper and more distinct, etc. I refer to dealing with these kinds of situations in respect of a means of preventing hearing loss insofar as is possible. To what extent is this happening now in all cases? I know there is a greater tendency to use headphones and so on and so forth, but some of the noise coming through them from time to time can be excessive as well.