Vol. 394 No. 8
68 Mr. Currie asked the Minister for Health the number of totally deaf people; if his attention has been drawn to the development of a bionic ear, an electronic implant capable of restoring hearing to deaf people; and if he will give financial assistance to enable the maximum number of deaf people to avail of the opportunity to hear and speak.
There are about 3,500 profoundly deaf people in this country. Most of these have been deaf from birth, with a small number having lost their hearing through illness or accident.
The device the Deputy is referring to is the cochlear implant, which enables the deaf person to hear a type of sound which the person must learn to interpret. This procedure is only suitable for adults who have had language before losing their hearing. It is not suitable for those who have been deaf from birth.
I have already made some funds available to enable several of these operations to be carried out on a trial basis. The appropriateness of the procedure in any individual case is a matter for assessment by the person's medical adviser.
