177. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the progress of the Working Group on the National Hearing Care Plan; if she has received the report from the working group that was due by end of Q2 as per terms of reference; if there has been a delay, the reason for the delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57482/25]

191. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health if she has received the report from the Working Group on the National Hearing Care Plan that was due by end of Quarter 2 as per Terms of Reference; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57518/25]

222. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Health the progress of the working group on the National Hearing Care Plan; if she has received the report from the working group that was due by end of Quarter 2 as per the Terms of Reference; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57614/25]

225. Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher asked the Minister for Health the progress of the Working Group on the National Hearing Care Plan; if she has received the report from the Working Group that was due by end of Quarter 2 as per Terms of Reference; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57644/25]

I propose to take Question No 177, 191, 222 and 225 together.

The Minister for Health established the National Hearing Care Plan Working Group in August 2024. The Group is jointly chaired by the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive (HSE).

Membership of the Working Group is drawn from relevant stakeholders, including HSE clinicians and management, the Irish Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists (ISHAA), the Irish Academy of Audiology (IAA), and the Department of Social Protection.

The Hearing Care Plan Working Group has been tasked with developing recommendations for a holistic model of hearing care in Ireland. To support this, a structured workstream has been developed, including subgroups focused on progressing priority issues. Significant progress has been made to date. There have been 15 meetings of the Working Group and associated subgroups since formation.

The scope of the work being considered by the Group has expanded beyond initial expectations, which has impacted on the timeline of the delivery of the report. The Group is examining:

• The existing level of hearing care provision in Ireland.

• Capacity constraints and opportunities within the HSE.

• Workforce planning, including improved recruitment and retention in the public system.

• The appropriate level of regulation of the audiology profession.

• Improving referral pathways and the integration between acute and community care.

• The effective linkage between public and private care to improve patient outcomes, including reductions in waiting times.

This is wide-ranging work, and it is the intention of the Group to ensure that the final report is comprehensive in its treatment of these matters.

A public consultation will be launched soon. This will further inform the Group’s final recommendations. The revised timeline for the report to be submitted to the Minister is now Q1 2026.