Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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645. To ask the Minister for Health if the €3.22 million set aside in the Health Service Executive's service plan for a bilateral simultaneous and sequential cochlear implant programme has been allocated yet to the national cochlear implant programme at Beaumont Hospital; if recruitment and training has begun in the specialised unit in Beaumont for the roll-out of the programme; when he anticipates that the first operations will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6838/14]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Beaumont Hospital is the centre for delivering Ireland’s national cochlear implant programme, with surgical provision for patients under six years being carried out in the Children’s University Hospital Temple Street. Since the programme commenced in 1995, over 700 patients have received cochlear implants. The HSE developed a proposal, in liaison with Beaumont Hospital, to introduce a bilateral cochlear implant programme in Ireland. Introduction of bilateral cochlear implantation will involve additional staff, equipment and capital works and in this context €3.22m has been provided in the HSE's National Service Plan 2014 for this service development.

In regard to the specific detail requested by the Deputy, as this is a service matter I have asked the HSE to reply directly to him.