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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 26 Jul 1961

Vol. 191 No. 11

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Causes of Blindness.

7.

asked the Minister for Health if he will indicate the number of cases of blindness or defective vision, which are the result of tubercular meningitis, in the past five years.

I presume the Deputy has in mind, in addition to blindness, only the grosser defects of vision.

While the number of cases is small, I have not precise information at present but I am taking steps to obtain it and will forward it to the Deputy when it is available.

8.

asked the Minister for Health if he will amend the blind registration form so as to include the predisposing cause of blindness in each case.

I presume that the reference to "blind registration form" in the question is to the certificate furnished by an applicant for a pension under the Blind Pensions Acts and that the Deputy is aware that there is no national register of blind persons.

I have already pointed out in reply to a question by Deputy Corish that the certificates in question cover only a proportion of the cases of blindness or defective vision which occur. Blind pensions, for instance, are not payable to persons under 21 years nor to persons whose means are such that they would not qualify for a blind pension even if they satisfied the criteria laid down in the Acts in regard to the condition of their eye-sight. Consequently, there is no occasion for certification in those cases. There is the additional fact that the degree of defect of vision necessary to qualify for a pension varies according to the normal occupation of the applicant. Thus a person following an occupation which requires acute vision could qualify for a pension because of his occupation, whereas a person following an occupation not requiring such acute vision would not qualify. The certificates, therefore, are not necessarily certificates of blindness but are certificates of impaired vision, of varying degrees, many of them far removed from any reasonable medical definition of blindness.

In all the circumstances, I do not at present feel that a case has been made for amending the form of certificate now in use, which is adequate for the purpose for which it is intended, a fact which was admitted by the body which advocated the change.

Would the Minister not agree that for statistical purposes it would be desirable to have on these forms the predisposing cause of blindness or defective vision? Would he not further agree that having it entered on the form in question would simplify the compilation of such statistics? Would he not further agree that other countries have on their forms for blindness the predisposing cause?

The lengthy and reasoned reply which I have given indicates that I would not agree.

I am afraid the Minister does not agree to anything today.

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