Vol. 515 No. 5
85 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the schemes under which elderly people over 70 can obtain hearing aids; the additional financial help, if any, available with social welfare schemes where often £5000 has to be provided in addition to treatment benefits; and if he will make a statement on the matter [6534/00]
The treatment benefits scheme administered by my Department provides assistance towards the cost of dental, optical and audiology services to people, and their dependent spouses, who satisfy the relevant statutory PRSI conditions. People who have sufficient contributions to qualify at age 66 remain entitled to benefits under this scheme for the rest of their lives.
In the case of hearing aids, my Department pays half the cost subject to a maximum of £250 per hearing aid. In 1999, 3,003 insured persons and 923 dependent spouses benefited under the scheme at a cost of some £1.1 million.
An increase in the level of assistance payable would have significant cost implications and could only be considered in a budgetary context.
