Kildare children are waiting up to year for eye treatment appointments

Young babies and adolescents in the County Kildare/west Wicklow area are waiting up to a year for ophthalmology appointments according to most recent figures.

Aontú’s Melissa Byrne, a candidate for South Kildare in the general election says the figures were made available following a question to the Minister for Health from Aontú leader, Deputy Peadar Tóibín.

Some 462 young people including new babies and small children up to four years of age are included in the figures for Kildare and West Wicklow released by the Department of Health.

Ms Byrne said: “Young people’s eyesight is deteriorating while they’re waiting to be seen, and this is totally unacceptable. We know that there is a severe shortage of ophthalmologists in this country, and this is having severe consequences on patients.

“We have fabulous optometrists and unlike our counterparts in other European countries, we don’t utilise their services as much as we perhaps could. These people are highly professional, well trained and well equipped practitioners and we know that there are eye procedures they could be taking on which would help alleviate pressure on waiting lists”.

She added that Optometry Ireland has previously stated that it would like if its members were utilised more and called on the HSE to consider it.

“It makes huge common sense all round. These professionals are already in situ and would provide a far more accessible and cost-effective service for patients”.