Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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233. To ask the Minister for Health his views regarding a discrepancy in prices being charged for hearing aids in view of the fact that many are very expensive [31115/13]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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234. To ask the Minister for Health his views regarding professional training or lack of training for some hearing aid suppliers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31116/13]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 233 and 234 together.

Prices charged for privately procured hearing aids are a matter of private contract. The Department of Health has no role in relation to setting such prices.

The Irish Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists (ISHAA), the body which represents the majority of private sector hearing aid audiologists, has introduced a voluntary registration process for their members, which I welcome. This process involves ensuring that members have a minimum level of qualifications and that they engage in continuous professional development.

The Health and Social Care Professionals Council (HSCPC) and the 12 registration boards to be established under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 are responsible for protecting the public by promoting high standards of professional conduct and professional education, training and competence among the registrants of the 12 health and social care professions designated under the Act. The Council (also known as CORU) was established in March 2007 and is working to put in place the necessary structures for registration, education and fitness to practise for the 12 designated professions. All the registration boards and their registers for the designated professions should be established by 2015. The legislation empowers the Minister for Health to include, if he considers it appropriate and in the public interest to do so, additional health and social care professions in the regulatory system over time, and under specific criteria. The question of regulating further health and social care professionals, including audiologists, may be reviewed post 2015 in the context of progress made at that juncture.