Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 April 2026
205. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has assessed the future demand for ophthalmology services over the next 10–15 years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28793/26]
View answer207. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Health whether Ireland has sufficient ophthalmology capacity to meet projected demand from an ageing population; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28795/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 205 and 207 together.
There are various public services to ensure that appropriate eye care is delivered to patients across the country.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) provides optical services free of charge to pre-school children and national school children referred from child health service and school health service examinations who are discovered to have sight problems. These children are referred to the appropriate service for treatment. In such circumstances, these services will continue to be provided until the child has reached the age of 16.
Under the Community Ophthalmic Services Scheme (COSS), medical card holders aged over 16 years can be seen by local ophthalmologists, community ophthalmic physicians, optometrists or dispensing opticians. Eligible patients can receive an eye examination and be provided with prescribed optical appliances in accordance with a national schedule of approved optical appliances.
In 2017, the HSE published a National Clinical Programme for Ophthalmology, which set out a model of care regarding how the realignment of eye services from an acute hospital setting to the community would be undertaken.
The HSE has been developing multidisciplinary Integrated Eye Care Teams in accordance with this model of care. These teams facilitate assessment, diagnoses, management and treatment, and in some cases pre-op/post-op care, enabling most patients to be seen in their own locality. Where necessary, patients can be referred onwards to acute ophthalmology services to receive the necessary specialist input.
The Programme for Government: Securing Ireland’s Future contains a commitment to review the National Clinical Programme for Ophthalmology to respond to future demand for ophthalmology services and to ensure more eye services are provided in the community. Engagement with relevant stakeholders regarding this is ongoing.
