Dan Neville
Question:209 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of children, up to 18 years of age, who suffer from hearing impairment in the Mid-Western Health Board area. [8851/01]
Written Answers. - Hearing Impairment Levels.
The information requested by the Deputy is not routinely gathered by my Department. However, as the provision of services to people with physical and sensory disabilities, including hearing impairments, is a matter for the relevant health board, the Deputy's question has been referred to the chief executive officer of the Mid-Western Health Board, with a request that he examine the matter and reply directly to the Deputy, as a matter of urgency.
As the Deputy is no doubt aware, the national physical and sensory disability database development committee, on which the Department, the Health Research Board, the health boards and the voluntary sector are represented, is currently developing a set of recommendations for the establishment of a national database. When complete, the database will provide information on the number of individuals with physical or sensory disabilities either in receipt of or requiring specialised health and personal social services.
The recommendations of the committee are being tested in phase I implementation of the database which is currently under way in four community care areas around the country. It is envisaged that the committee's report will be submitted to the Department later this year.