Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I do not promise what I cannot deliver. What I am saying is that if we have the technology and if all we need is the money, we will argue that.

As Deputy Adams correctly stated, because it was a conversation we were having, this does not need the €12 million up front. We will have to build a team. That team has to be put in place because it will require additional resources but also manpower. However, we have an expert in the field, a consultant in ear, nose and throat medicine, ENT. I am glad to say the consultant is a woman, an extremely impressive woman. Therefore, we are doing our best.

It is not something we dismiss, but it is something that must be part of the process. We cannot say, until we come out the other end of that process, whether we will be able to do it entirely. It would be my fervent hope that we can and it is something for which we will be arguing strongly.

For those who are less familiar with bilateral cochlear implants, it is important to explain what a cochlear implant is. I definitely do not need to explain it to the parents in the Gallery. It is a highly sophisticated device which provides access to sound for those with severe to profound hearing loss. The surgically implanted device, as was explained to me, when coupled to an external processor, can provide access to speech and everyday sounds to aid or improve communication abilities. It is not only about listening to music, although I acknowledge the joy of that. It is not only about that; it is also a safety issue, as parents need to be able to stop their children from running onto the street or doing something that is a danger to them.

The routine practice in Ireland so far has been to implant one side only. The selection of the ear to implant depends on clinical factors. However, it is now considered best practice worldwide that children should have bilateral implants. I am aware that in Britain, the 2009 National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines advocated that it was best practice that all children should have bilateral simultaneous implants.

I will tell Deputy Mac Lochlainn about the national review, because it is important. The parents contributed, as did the ENT consultant and all of the experts. Whatever we do in this Government, it cannot be similar to what previous Governments did, as it must be evidence-based. These aspects are important. That view was supported by the national review of audiology services which was carried out by the HSE. The aim of the review was to examine the services provided to children and adults nationwide and to formulate a national plan for the services - just as we are doing in mental health, where we are clearly not there yet and where significant investment is needed. It should not depend on one's postcode whether one's child gets this service, and that is why national clinical programmes are important. The report of the review was published by the HSE in 2011 and provides the blueprint for the planning, development and delivery of HSE audiology services.

I want to particularly note that the audiology review group found considerable evidence of patient and parent satisfaction with the National Cochlear Implant Centre at Beaumont. I commend the excellent people involved in the cochlear implant programme. The audiology review report recommended continued ring-fenced support for the cochlear implant programme but at levels which allow for simultaneous bilateral implantation for children. It also supported the proposal to locate the national paediatric cochlear implant service within the new children's hospital. It recommended that the paediatric cochlear implant team should be integrated with the paediatric audiology service at the new children's hospital. In this context, I would note that while Beaumont Hospital is the national centre, currently, surgical provision for the under-sixes takes place at Temple Street. Since the report of the audiology review group was published, the HSE has established a national clinical care programme for audiology which is overseeing the implementation of its recommendations. A new national clinical lead was appointed earlier this year and four assistant leads are to be appointed shortly. Under the auspices of the clinical programme, progress is being made in the modernisation of audiology services in Ireland. A total of €3.7 million was made available in 2011 to begin the implementation of the recommendations and an additional €1.9 million was made available in 2013.

One of the main recommendations in the report includes the national roll-out of a universal newborn hearing screening programme. This is a key priority to ensure that all babies have their hearing screened shortly after birth. I greatly welcome the fact that universal newborn hearing screening is in place in HSE south, HSE Dublin-mid Leinster and HSE Dublin north east. HSE west is in the final stages of going live, with only Limerick hospital remaining to go live before the end of the year. From April 2011 to the end of July 2013, 62,000 babies have been screened and 94 cases of permanent childhood hearing impairment have been identified. If it is being identified at this very early age then the natural next step must be to deal with the issue when it can be dealt with. I am no great expert in this area. I only know what the parents and the consultant told me. However, it is the case that some children will not be able to benefit from this programme. The numbers are not overwhelming. The diagnosed figures are not overwhelming. The Government has managed to achieve certain things, albeit with very scarce resources, which should have been done when the country was awash with money. It is a matter of us all co-operating and ensuring that we do the right thing.

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