Fine Gael Dun Laoghaire TD, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, has today (Thursday), on World Sight Day, highlighted the need for increased early detection and intervention of blindness and eye diseases in Ireland as 75% to 80% of sight loss cases are avoidable.

“World Sight Day is held on the second Thursday of every October and it is a day for us all to focus on preventable sight loss. Through my involvement with National Vision Coalition who represent the interests of the vision impaired and blind community, I have learned that 75-80% of blindness is preventable.

“Five people go blind every week in Ireland and more than 220,000 people in this country are blind or vision impaired. And with our ageing population this number is expected to increase by a fifth by 2020.

“Earlier this year the National Vision Coalition published their report Economic Cost and Burden of Eye Diseases and Preventable Blindness in Ireland. This report outlined the economic impact of four eye diseases and blindness in sixteen countries including Ireland, and they found that blindness and vision impairment costs the State an estimated €205 million per year.

“It is essential that we tackle blindness and vision impairment for the well-being of those affected but it is also only prudent from a financial point of view that we invest in this issue to save money in the long term.

“There is a very strong case for investing in blindness prevention. Blindness and vision impairment caused by the four main eye diseases is costing the state €205 million per annum, but investment in cost-effective interventions could save up to €76 million per annum.

“I strongly support the call for the implementation of a national vision strategy to address blindness and vision impairment in Ireland and I encourage everyone to use World Sight Day as an opportunity to address your own optical health. Maybe now is the time to get an eye test or to address something that you have been ignoring. The vast majority of sight loss is avoidable so on World Sight Day we should all take the initiative to be proactive and take responsibility for our own health.”