Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue of audiology services in Cork. I am informed there are two factors particularly impacting the waiting lists in Cork. One is demand in our ageing population. That is something we should be able to plan for. The second is a specific issue regarding recruitment pressures. The Department of Health and the HSE are working together to remedy this with a new national hearing care plan. The Minister for Health established a working group to develop that last August. It is jointly chaired by the Department of Health and the HSE. Membership of the working group is drawn from relevant stakeholders, including the Irish Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists, the Irish Academy of Audiology and the Department of Social Protection. I will ask the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill to directly link with the Deputy on that work and how we can make progress in Cork.

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