John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 437: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the financial support her Department will provide to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny to purchase special hearing aids that would restore 70% of their hearing; the course of action that is open to this person; the financial assistance that is available as they have a limited income from social welfare and employment of two days per week. [4538/10]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Medical Appliance Benefit Scheme currently offers assistance towards the cost of a hearing aid, both analogue and digital. The scheme provides a grant of up to half the cost of a hearing aid or repairs to a hearing aid, subject to a fixed maximum of €760 per aid.

To qualify for Medical Appliance Benefit you must satisfy certain PRSI conditions. A person aged 25 to 65 must have a total of 260 paid PRSI contributions since first starting work and either have 39 paid or credited PRSI contributions in the relevant tax year on which the claim is based or 26 paid PRSI contributions in both the relevant tax year and the tax year immediately before the relevant tax year.

The person referred to has only 30 PRSI contributions in the relevant tax year and only 3 contributions in the tax year immediately before the relevant tax year, consequently he does not qualify for Medical Appliance Benefit. Any customer wishing to apply for a hearing aid using a medical card should contact the Department of Health and Children.