Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)

I appreciate the Senator raising the issue as it gives me an opportunity to set out the Government's thinking on it.

Vision 2020 is the global initiative for the elimination of avoidable blindness. It is a joint programme of the World Health Organisation and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness. On a worldwide basis, it is estimated that up to 80% of blindness is avoidable, which indicates cost-effective treatments are available. Vision 2020 has targeted a number of diseases that contribute to blindness. Many of these diseases are related to infections commonly found in tropical regions.

The World Health Organisation monitoring committee for the elimination of avoidable blindness stated in 2006 that, generally speaking, the prevention of blindness is, for the most part, not a public health issue in a large percentage of countries in the Americas and Europe. It went on to state that many of the countries in these two regions have long solved their infrastructure problems and their health care delivery systems function efficiently.

It is not proposed to set up a national co-ordinating committee to develop and implement a national vision policy, strategy and plan. However, the Government will continue to provide and develop vision services and supports through health prevention, screening and intervention policies and programmes. I will outline these services in a moment. We will also continue to support the members of the Vision Impaired Service Providers Alliance, including the National Council for the Blind, the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, St. Joseph's Centre for the Visually Impaired and Fighting Blindness, regarding service provision, research and support for visually impaired people in Ireland.

A number of eye conditions are part of Vision 2020, including cataract, refractive error, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. Detection and treatment services are already available throughout the country, in community and acute hospital settings, for many conditions which can lead to vision impairment and blindness. For example, diabetic retinopathy is one of the most serious complications of diabetes. We know that screening, followed by treatment of retinopathy, is very effective in preventing blindness. Earlier this year, the national cancer screening programme was formally requested by the Health Service Executive to commence the development of a national diabetic retinopathy screening programme. A total of €4 million has been made available in 2011 for the development of a screening model.

Screening tests for glaucoma are available and treatment involves anti-glaucoma medication, which is also widely available. Age-related macular degeneration is the most common cause of blindness in industrialised countries. Treatment options are available for certain types of macular degeneration, although it is generally agreed that further research is required and this is on-going on a global basis. The Health Service Executive provides screening through child health examinations. Children are eligible for ophthalmic treatment and optical appliances in respect of any problems noted at child health examinations. More than ten years ago, a scheme was launched which provides free eye examinations and free spectacles to adult medical card holders.

Cataract is clouding of the lens of the eye and is amenable to surgical intervention. This surgery is widely available in acute hospitals. In July, the Minister, Deputy Reilly, announced changes in the role of the National Treatment Purchase Fund. The special delivery unit, working in close collaboration with the NTPF, will introduce a more focussed strategy to target treatments for patients and systematically reduce waiting lists.

Where people are blind, the focus of any health or personal social service support is to facilitate full participation in the social and economic life of the community. When we develop policies, strategies or action plans for people with a disability, those who are blind or with a visual impairment are included. The Government will finalise a value for money and policy review of disability services before the end of the year. The report of the disability policy review has been published for public consultation and I urge everyone with an interest in the area to participate and give their opinion; we will be interested to hear them. It is my intention to examine both the policy report and the value for money report, and in conjunction with the Minister, Deputy Reilly, I will bring proposals for the future of our disability services to Government.

I contend that, while it is not proposed at this time to develop a specific vision strategy, we are working through the actions required to address the goal of the WHO's initiative, namely, to eliminate avoidable blindness in Ireland.