Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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784. To ask the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to the implementation of the healthcare innovation Sligo cataract scheme nationally in which community optometrists co-work with hospital surgeons in order to improve public eye health and address the waiting list for public eye-care which remains high at 46,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5017/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As this refers to an individual case, I have referred this matter to the HSE for their attention and direct reply to the Deputy.

Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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785. To ask the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to the implementation of a new eye-care programme for school-going children (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5018/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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786. To ask the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to extending the role of optometrists in providing more services including the delivery of further treatments (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5019/22]

Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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787. To ask the Minister for Health if a greater role for optometrists will be sanctioned by his Department in the interest of improving public eye health and eye-care services across the country and reducing the waiting list for public eye-care (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5020/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 786 and 787 together.

I value the important role community optometrists play in our Health Service in the delivery of holistic patient care. In particular, I fully acknowledge that community optometrists have played a key role in responding to the health needs of the public during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During COVID-19 optometrists have been responsive to the challenges presented and have developed guidelines and procedures to safely deliver patient care. I also recognise that optometrists have also played an important role in the delivery of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign.

The current contract with Optometrists dates back to 1999 and it is accepted that it is has not kept pace with developments that have taken place over the course of recent years including the recommendations from the 2017 Primary Care Eye Services Review Group Report, interdisciplinary collaboration and the skillset that optometrists have by virtue of their education and training.

I am fully committed to the development of community services which can facilitate expanded and more integrated provision of eye care in local communities. In this context, a contractual relationship between optometrists and the HSE which is modernised to emphasise a strengthened primary care system will be required.

However, any publicly funded service expansion should address unmet public healthcare needs, improve access to existing public health services or provide better value for money or patient outcomes. Accordingly, any measures to be considered must be evidence-based.

The HSE is continuing to prioritise the development of Primary Care Eye Teams in CHOs 6, 7 and 9 in 2022 with a view to extending these teams to other CHOs. A recent CHO9 initiative by the Community Paediatric Ophthalmology Service at the Grangegorman Primary Care Centre addressed waiting lists and enabled the training of the optometrist into expanded roles.

In 2022, the HSE will also advance the transfer of care for children aged 8+ years to local optometrists, thereby reducing waiting lists and enhancing access to primary eye care services. It is anticipated that it will be possible to bring the project to conclusion over a 6-to-9-month time frame in 2022.