Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I wish to share time with Deputy Connaughton.

I am raising this matter from a degree of frustration with the Billy to Jack service being provided by the HSE and the Department of Health and Children with specific reference to a constituent of mine but it is a matter of general concern of which Deputy Connaughton and other colleagues also have experience.

My constituent was informed he would be fitted with a digital hearing aid in October 2005. He attended his son's wedding last weekend without having been fitted with a digital hearing aid. The HSE informed me on 1 December 2006 that it would be commencing the process of supplying digital hearing aids in early 2007. It is now one third of the way through 2007 and the digital hearing aids are only being supplied to children.

I accept this was the initial plan and I have no difficulty with prioritising children but I have a difficulty with the slow pace of delivery which extends to a year and a half for this gentleman. He has endured a poor quality of life because of his poor hearing. All he is asking for is a digital hearing aid. These appliances cost in the region of €1,300. I ask for a commitment from the Minister on the timescale within which those already assessed will be supplied with their hearing aids. This is a simple request and not something one would imagine would need to be raised on the floor of Dáil Éireann. However, because of the lack of response to date I had no other choice but to do so. I ask the Minister for a firm commitment as to when the people who have applied will receive their appliances.

Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Enright for allowing me the opportunity to raise the same matter concerning a number of my constituents, particularly one in south Galway. This elderly man had an analogue hearing aid which did not suit him as is the case for many people. He has a medical card and is on a very low income. He tried to better himself by acquiring an attachment for the analogue hearing aid which makes it a half-digital system. The hearing aid is relatively good but it is extremely uncomfortable and is inconvenient. I wish to make a special case for the many hundreds of people at this stage in their lives. Thankfully, I do not have a problem with my hearing. However, I imagine that it is a great drawback to have a hearing impairment. As Deputy Enright stated, quality of life is a matter of major importance to the people to whom she referred. We should at the very least provide digital hearing aids for those who are on low incomes and who are also on medical cards. I understand that the technology is so good that the units are becoming less expensive. I cannot understand why the HSE is not in a position to deliver the type of equipment which can be life changing for many people.

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney.

As the House will be aware, the Health Act 2004 provided for the establishment of the Health Service Executive, HSE, which duly came into being on 1 January 2005. Under the Act, the HSE has the responsibility to manage and deliver, or to arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. This includes the delivery of audiology services and the prioritising and resourcing of the development of national community audiology services is now a matter for the HSE. Nonetheless, I am happy to set out the position as regards this matter, as well as to convey the information provided by the HSE on the specific questions asked by the Deputies.

The national community audiology service provides free audiology services for all children, irrespective of their parents' means, and for adults who have eligibility. For an adult to be eligible, he or she must be in possession of a current medical card. The service held 4,822 clinics in 2006 and 39,432 patients were seen. A figure of €1,663,430 was spent nationally on hearing aids and accessories in 2006.

Until the end of last year, all hearing aids fitted by the national community audiology service were of the analogue type. However, since the beginning of 2007, the HSE, as part of the modernisation of the service, has started the roll-out of the provision of digital hearing aids for children up to the age of 18 years. The reason for this was the impact of hearing loss on children's education.

As Deputy Enright said, everyone would agree that if we are going to focus resources, they should be focused in this direction. At present, the HSE does not provide digital hearing aids for adults over the age of 18 years. However, it is examining the costs involved in providing digital hearing aids to adults. In addition, it hopes to establish a national review of audiology services to explore the delivery of such services in the most appropriate setting.

Meanwhile, the HSE has worked to ensure national standardisation of approaches to waiting lists and waiting times using a standardised template. Data according to this revised template is due to be reported at the end of the first quarter 2007.

A further imperative is to develop integrated working for those with hearing loss at primary care level between audiologists, general practitioners, speech and language therapists, public health nurses, etc. The HSE also envisages the development of audiology services that will be fully integrated between acute hospitals and community services and delivered in the most appropriate setting.

The Department of Health and Children is committed to the continued development of community audiology services. I will ensure that the comments of both Deputies are brought to the attention of the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney.