Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 92: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the position regarding a scheme for digital hearing aids for older people; when the scheme will be announced; the qualifying conditions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32844/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Medical Appliance Benefit Scheme offers assistance towards the cost of the purchase of a hearing aid, either analogue or digital. The Department pays up to half the cost of a hearing aid or repairs to a hearing aid, subject to a fixed maximum contribution of €760 per aid.

To qualify for Medical Appliance Benefit you must satisfy certain PRSI conditions. A person aged 66 or over must have a total of 260 paid PRSI contributions since first starting work and either (i) 39 paid or credited PRSI contributions in either of the two relevant tax years on which the claim is based or (ii) 26 paid PRSI contributions in both the relevant tax year and the tax year immediately before the relevant tax year.

However if you satisfy the PRSI conditions when you reach age 60, you will remain qualified for life. The supply of hearing aids under the medical card scheme is administered by the Department of Health and Children.