Plans are being developed to deliver specialist eye services to the county.
Specialist eye services are set to return to Laois.
The HSE says a location has been found to provide a Outreach Eye Clinic in Portlaoise Hospital, with planning works expected to be complete late this year or early next year.
Funding has also been secured for a Consultant Ophthalmologist post.
Recently, Laois Offaly Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley raised concerns from a number of elderly residents in east Laois, who were travelling to Athlone for eye services.
He says it's a welcome development:
'A number of Constituents contacted me on an ongoing basis about the distance they have to travel to Athlone since the services were relocated there.
This caused the most severe problem for residents in the south and east of the county, such as Errill, Rathdowney, Crettyard and Graiguecullen.
In the absence of Public Transport, attending the clinic is very difficult.'
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