John McGuinness
Question:14. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the Health Service Executive’s plans to provide cochlear implants to children who need them. [39986/13]
View answerThursday, 26 September 2013
Questions (14)
Written answers
Beaumont Hospital is the centre for delivering Ireland’s national cochlear implant programme, with surgical provision for patients under six (6) years being carried out in the Children’s University Hospital Temple Street.
Since the programme commenced seventeen years ago (in 1995), over 700 patients have received cochlear implants. Beaumont Hospital carried out ninety cochlear implants in 2012 (42 children and 48 adults).
The HSE has developed a proposal, in liaison with Beaumont Hospital, to introduce a bilateral cochlear implant programme in Ireland. It is planned that the programme will be located in Beaumont Hospital. This is a complex development and the HSE has engaged with many stakeholders in the proposed development.
The programme will involve additional staff, equipment and capital works and will be dependent on additional funding being made available to support its commencement. The proposal is being considered as part of the 2014 estimates process.