A new theatre has been officially opened at the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital in Dublin with the aim of delivering an extra 3,000 cataract operations a year.
The hospital hopes to clear its own waiting list by the end of 2018.
Waiting lists across the other 11 hospitals in the Ireland East Hospital Group (IEHG) are also hoped to be eliminated by the end of 2019.
Currently the waiting list across the group for cataract operations is 3,180 patients.
It means that patients are currently waiting for eight-and-a-half months on average for their treatment.
The IEHG expects the demand for cataract services to grow by a further 17% between 2016 and 2021.
A cataract, which is a clouding of the eye that affects vision, is usually associated with age.
According to a statement, the new unit provides a 36% increase in capacity within the hospital group.
Minister for Health Simon Harris said the opening "is a real demonstration that our health service can respond to the challenges that we face and deliver better outcomes for patients."
