Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Health Service Executive (HSE) currently provides a wide range of medical and surgical aids and appliances free of charge to eligible persons following assessment by a relevant health professional.

These are provided by the HSE through community services known as Community Funded Schemes. This may include the provision of wigs and hairpieces, but the level of access varies across Community Health Organisations. HSE Local Health Offices will be able to advise as to what services are available locally (see www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/1/lho/).

The Treatment Benefit Scheme, operated by the Department of Social Protection, provides funding up to a maximum of €500 towards the cost of hair replacement products where hair loss results from a disease or treatment of a disease such as cancer or alopecia. Qualifying conditions are a matter for that Department. The types of alopecia which qualify are:

- Alopecia areata (which includes alopecia totalis/universalis, diffuse alopecia areata, alopecia ophiasis);

- Primary scarring alopecias (also known as cicatricial alopecias);

- Frontal fibrosing alopecia and lichen planopilaris (scarring alopecia);

- Chemotherapy induced alopecia (anagen effluvium); and

- Alopecia resulting from surgery or trauma, including burns.

Further details on the scheme are available here: www.gov.ie/en/service/1fb655-treatment-benefit-scheme/#what-the-treatment-benefit-scheme-is.