Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am sick of raising this issue with the Taoiseach and he is doing nothing about it. This is promised legislation. The Taoiseach promised that the cataract treatment waiting list would go from 24 months to 18 months but instead it has gone from 24 months to 30 months. People are going blind waiting to have their cataracts removed. I have asked the Taoiseach frequently about this matter here. Before Christmas I gave a clear plan to the Minister for Health as to how for instance in County Kerry we could tackle the problem. So far, although the National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF, has given more than €5 million for ophthalmology, we are not tackling the problem. There is a solution. The Minister has the solution. I ask the Taoiseach in the nicest possible way to please ensure that cataracts can be removed. It costs €2,600 to take a cataract away from a person's eye. If it is not taken in time the person goes blind. I have the names, personal public service, PPS, numbers and the dates of birth of two people in Kerry who lost their sight because they were on a waiting list. I know the Taoiseach does not want that to happen. I plead with him to take the Minister aside and talk to him about this, and talk to the people in the HSE. The Taoiseach should get the Minister to do his job properly and stop people going blind. This is a civilised society and it should not be happening.

See this speech in context