Call for national hearing screening programme for over-50s
Longford-Westmeath TD Sorca Clarke has been briefed on calls for a national hearing screening programme for people aged over 50.
Deputy Clarke attended a hearing screening at Leinster House, organised by Chime, the national charity for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people, as part of International Week of the Deaf.
Chime is calling for regular hearing screening for over-50s to be included in the Government’s long-delayed National Hearing Care Plan, which was originally promised for June 2025.
The charity says early identification of hearing loss could help protect health, independence and quality of life, while also addressing links between hearing loss and cognitive decline.
Latest figures obtained by Chime show 2,672 people are waiting for audiology services in the Midlands. Nationally, 23,119 people are on audiology waiting lists, including 11,150 children, with 37% waiting more than a year.
An estimated 300,000 adults in Ireland are living with significant hearing loss.
Chime CEO Mark Byrne said hearing loss was often viewed as an inevitable part of ageing, but early identification and appropriate intervention could make a significant difference.
The charity is seeking a clear pathway for patients, from diagnosis and assessment through to treatment, hearing aids, assistive technology and rehabilitation.
Research by the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) found that only one in five older adults reporting fair or poor hearing were using a hearing aid, while more than one in 10 older people who needed hearing services had not accessed them.
Chime said hearing aids can cost between €1,000 and €4,000 per pair, creating a significant financial barrier for those relying on private provision.
The World Health Organisation recommends regular hearing screening from the age of 50.
At Leinster House, Sylvia Nolan, manager at Deaf Village Ireland, also described how hearing aids had transformed her life after she struggled to hear medical staff caring for her mother in hospital.
“I did it for my Mam because I wanted to hear her. I am so glad I did,” she said.