Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Ireland has a very high level of unaddressed hearing loss. Almost one in ten of the adult population has significant hearing loss and needs audiology intervention. In 2021, the World Health Organization recommended that national governments in each country establish a national hearing plan for their populations and demonstrated in its report that this would represent excellent value for money. Does the Government intend to accept that recommendation and put a plan in place for the audiology service which is cohesive, efficient and caring, and which would save the health service an awful lot of money in years to come? What steps does the Government intend to take to reduce the waiting list for audiology services, which at present stands at 20,000, half children and half adults?

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