The HSE audiology service offers free hearing aids to anyone under the age of 18.Adults with a medical card can also get free hearing aids. The audiology service is free for all children under 18 and eligible adults in Ireland. It's also free for students until they finish tertiary education. Hearing aids are available both publicly and privately in Ireland.
Anyone with a medical card can access free hearing aids. Alternatively, if you buy them privately, the Irish government provides a grant to do so to people who qualify. In the next few paragraphs, I'll explain what the process is for both of us. Buying hearing aids is an important decision in many ways.
While many people focus on finances, there is also the emotional decision. Making the decision to buy a hearing aid can be intimidating at best, especially for someone new to the process. There's a lot of information available online, but it can often be difficult for the uninitiated to understand. So we decided to try to help you with a clear explanation of what the process is and what you need to know to become a better hearing aid buyer.
Let's talk about public hearing aids first. The HSE has a list of organizations that help and support deaf and hard of hearing adults and children and their families in Ireland.
