Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 May 2026
282. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Health if Ireland has assessed the economic impact of untreated glaucoma and other vision problems across the population; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38149/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere 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.
Under the Community Ophthalmic Services Scheme (COSS), medical card holders or their dependents (aged over 12 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.
The 2017 Primary Care Eye Services Review Group Report set out how a significant amount of eye services could be delivered in a primary care setting. The 2017 National Clinical Programme for Ophthalmology developed a model of care detailing how the realignment of eye services from the acute hospitals 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.
