Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Taoiseach for that answer. I have used Billy's case to personalise and humanise the issue. He has received a single cochlear implant. The point I am trying to make is that the doctors and the HSE are saying that best practice for children involves giving them two implants. The HSE estimates that the cost of doing this would be no more than €4 million, which is not an awful lot of money, even in these straitened times. Some of these children are not even diagnosed as being deaf until they are 18 months old.

Can anyone imagine a child like Billy hearing no noise until he is two and a half years old? As a citizen, he has a right to hear, a right to have a voice and a right to be heard. The Government has the solution. I know the Taoiseach cannot stand up and on the hoof give commitments on these matters, but it is quite simple. A sum of €4 million will cure this problem for all of these young citizens. On behalf of the parents, particularly those are running a campaign on the issue, I ask that the Minister for Health and the Taoiseach come to it in a very positive way. It is something the Government could put right very easily.

See this speech in context