Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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248. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the grant assistance which may be available to a person (details supplied) requiring hearing aids. [19466/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Qualification for medical appliance benefit is based on satisfying certain PRSI conditions. The person concerned would need to have paid 260 PRSI contributions at either class A, E, H, P, or S, since first starting work, and also have 39 contributions paid or credited in the tax year or years on which the claim is based.

In this case, while the person concerned has 260 contributions paid she does not have the 39 contributions at classes A, E, H, P, or S, paid or credited in the specific tax years on which the claim is based (1990 to 1998), and therefore does not qualify for medical appliance benefit.

However, if she has a medical card, she should contact her local HSE office, who will be able to advise her on her entitlement to hearing aids under their audiology scheme.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.