Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Matthews for the question. One of the locations in which the ophthalmic service is provided is in our own constituency in the Deputy's home town of Bray. I value the important role that community ophthalmologists play. I am fully committed to the development of the community service to facilitate the integrated provision of eye care in local communities.

As the Deputy said, the community ophthalmic medical services treatment scheme was established as a pilot quite some time ago in 2004. There are four practices across seven locations providing medical and minor surgical care to patients outside of hospitals, which is important because it frees hospitals up to do the more complex work.

The treatments and fees payable were agreed nine years ago in 2013. The HSE has advised that a detailed evaluation of the operation of the scheme would be needed to see whether we extend it further. I am very happy to tell the Deputy that I am asking the agency to conduct this review in 2023, which I know is something people have sought for quite some time.

The HSE's 2017 primary care eye services review group report outlines a blueprint for the future development of services in accordance with population needs. It calls for the establishment of primary eye care teams that would include primary ophthalmic physicians, orthoptists, nurses, technicians and administrative staff. A priority for this year has been the development of the primary care teams in CHO 6, CHO 7 and CHO 9. I have asked my officials to review the current fees payable under the scheme as raised by the Deputy.

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