Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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635. To ask the Minister for Health if a reply will issue to a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67991/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The Health Service Executive (HSE) provides hearing aids and associated maintenance free of charge to children under the age of 18 and to adults with a medical card. Further information regarding the HSE's audiology service can be found at: www2.hse.ie/services/audiology/.

In accordance with the provisions of the Health Act 1970 (as amended), eligibility for a medical card is determined by the HSE. In certain circumstances, the HSE may exercise discretion and grant a medical card, even though an applicant exceeds the income guidelines, where he or she faces difficult financial circumstances, such as extra costs arising from illness. Further information can be found at: www2.hse.ie/services/schemes-allowances/medical-cards/.

The Treatment Benefit Scheme, operated by the Department of Social Protection, provides for healthcare services to qualified people who have the required number of PRSI contributions. This includes up to €1,000 for a pair of hearing aids, and up to €100 toward repairs, within a 4-year calendar period. Further information can be found at: www.gov.ie/en/service/1fb655-treatment-benefit-scheme/. Any changes to these grants would need to be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context.

Individuals who do not possess a medical card or who are not eligible for the Treatment Benefit Scheme would have to purchase hearing aids privately from a commercial provider. If the individual has private health insurance, it may cover hearing aid costs. Hearing aids are exempt from VAT. People may also be entitled to claim tax relief at the standard rate of tax (20%) on the purchase of hearing aids where prescribed.

The Minister for Health established the National Hearing Care Plan Working Group in August 2024. The Group is jointly chaired by the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive (HSE).

Membership of the Working Group is drawn from relevant stakeholders, including HSE clinicians and management, the Irish Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists (ISHAA), the Irish Academy of Audiology (IAA), and the Department of Social Protection.

The Hearing Care Plan Working Group has been tasked with developing recommendations for a holistic model of hearing care in Ireland. To support this, a structured workstream has been developed, including subgroups focused on progressing priority issues. Significant progress has been made to date. There have been 16 meetings of the Working Group and associated subgroups since formation.

The Group is examining:

• The existing level of hearing care provision in Ireland.
• Capacity constraints and opportunities within the HSE.
• Workforce planning, including improved recruitment and retention in the public system.
• The appropriate level of regulation of the audiology profession.
• Improving referral pathways and the integration between acute and community care.
• The effective linkage between public and private care to improve patient outcomes, including reductions in waiting times.