Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I fully agree with my colleague, Senator Gallagher. Gabhaim buíochas leis an tAire Stáit for his reply.

We can eliminate preventable blindness. Look what they have done in the north-east region under Professor David Keegan and the initiatives that they have rolled out there.

I very much welcome what the Minister of State has announced but we need to see it actioned. We need to see it scaled up. We need to see our waiting list diminished, reduced and ultimately eliminated.

People deserve to keep the eyesight they have. If we can do that and if we can use the next 18 to 24 months to eliminate the waiting lists, we need to have a contract with ourselves that we never let them get out of hand again.

I thank the Minister of State for his reply, which is encouraging. Hopefully, we will see it scaled-up and actioned.