Children’s health - Screening cuts should be revised

The reduction in the health screening of primary school children would appear to be extraordinarily shortsighted on the part of the Health Service Executive (HSE).

Fine Gael has highlighted the fact that the programme now covers only a health and hearing assessment at school entry and a vision screening at school entry and exit.

Effectively, it represents a 50% cutback in what was available 12 months ago. Up to then, children in national schools were examined while pupils in junior and senior infants, as well as in second and sixth classes.