9. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet [7694/26]

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I have received the following communication: I am writing as a parent of deaf adults. I … am interested in your views. My daughter and her partner were both born profoundly deaf and rely heavily on their hearing aid to be able to work and communicate their needs. At present a pair of hearing aids cost 5,800 euro per person and must be replaced every 5-7 years. While the treatment benefit scheme provides a 1,000 refund per pair, this leaves families like theirs a cost of 4,800 per pair. Simply to access sound. They were refused a medical card on income grounds even though there primary need is audiology care. Means testing does not account for lifelong disabilities with unavoidable costs. I am asking for your support in: Reconsidering eligibility for audiology only medical care access or Developing a non-means tested audiology pathway for congenital deafness. My daughter and her partner ... work … They pay a mortgage, childcare and commute daily to Dublin in order to be part of the working community. The main barrier to their inclusion in the workplace is hearing … We know the issue with the underemployment of those with disabilities in this State.

Sentiment score: 0.16

Even with the €1,000 back it is €4,800 per person.

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27. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his attendance at the 44th British-Irish Council summit in Wales. [7695/26]

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It will not come as any shock to the Taoiseach that I believe we need to have a proper engagement with the British Government from a point of view of a Border poll. The Government needs to get real about the possibility of constitutional change and has to prepare for this. That is an absolute necessity. There is a huge level of cross-Border issues that we could deal with now, irrespective of those issues that there are failings on - for example, issues in relation to taxation, in that remote working cannot be done cross-Border at this point in time. It is quite a big issue for a number of people in my constituency and the constituencies that border it. We have people who are being impacted now in relation to social protection payments, for example, if they were in a term-time job and are working in the other jurisdiction. There are a number of these issues. We need to find a means of dealing with them because we cannot just keep talking about them anymore.

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The Taoiseach has to deal with the constitutional issue.

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