Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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704. To ask the Minister for Health if the payments regarding the Health Service Executive initiative for the outsourcing of the adult hearing aid services were front-loaded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7701/14]

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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705. To ask the Minister for Health in relation to the initiative for the outsourcing of the adult hearing aid services, if the contract was completed within the agreed timeframe for the testing and fitting of a hearing aid and the follow-up assessment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7702/14]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 704 and 705 together.

Funding was made available in Q4 of 2013 for an initiative to reduce adult waiting lists for hearing assessment. This initiative was scheduled to run until ³¹ December 2013. However, some of the outstanding tests and aftercare/ follow-up appointments continued into this year and are nearing completion. Payments are made to contractors only after the work is complete. The HSE sees this as a positive initiative that will greatly reduce the adult waiting lists for hearing assessment.