Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State will have noticed that I am wearing headphones. I suffer badly from hearing loss and I can tell him it is the most frustrating disability. In crowded spaces I find I do not quite pick up on what people say and sometimes I get the wrong message. My wife reminded me that one time in a crowded gathering I was answering questions I had not been asked. It was an interesting observation on her part.

For elderly people who are damned with this curse of hearing loss, there is nothing worse. Everything we can do we should do. I thank Chime for coming to Leinster House to brief us. We should get people to be more proactive about seeking help with hearing loss. We should get the working group up and running and get reports out as quickly as possible. We need more help for people with hearing loss. I thank the Minister of State for taking the debate on behalf of the Minister for Health and I ask him to bring my comments back.