A Deaf couple, both in employment, say they are being penalised for working and "moving away" from the disability allowance.
James Reardon and Ruth McSkane, who have three young children, are facing a €10,000 bill for hearing aids.
Mr Reardon, who is a healthcare assistant, and Ms McSkane who works as a special needs assistant, say the high cost of replacing hearing aids places "a huge burden" on working families.
300,000 adults in Ireland have a significant hearing loss, however the national charity for the Deaf, Chime, says only one in five have the hearing aids they need.
13,868 children and teenagers are currently on a HSE waiting list for a hearing loss assessment, according to the organisation.
In addition, of the 12,849 adults waiting for hearing assessments, a third of them are waiting for over a year.
In 2024, the Department of Health set up a Working Group to develop a National Hearing Care Plan, however, Chime has said its findings are overdue.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health said the scope of the work being considered by the group had "expanded beyond initial expectations, which has impacted on the timeline of the delivery of the report".
She said the Working Group (which includes clinicians, the Irish Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists (ISHAA), the Irish Academy of Audiology (IAA), and the Department of Social Protection) saw it as an opportunity to deliver "a more comprehensive plan that considers all aspects of audiology care, thus ensuring the greatest benefit to patients".
Chime has called for full, non-means-tested coverage of hearing costs.
Mr Reardon and Ms McSkane, who are above the income threshold for a medical card, say they struggle to raise the €10,000 required every five to seven years.
While a treatment benefit scheme removes €2,000 from the €12,000 total, they say it does not go far enough.
"We worked hard to move off disability allowance, secure employment and buy our own home to raise a family," according to Mr Reardon.
"To find ourselves paying out €10,000 simply to manage the cost of our disability and remain in work is deeply disheartening."
According to the Department of Health, a public consultation (on audiology care) is due to commence this month.
The National Hearing Care Plan is due to be finalised between April and June this year.
Responding to Sinn Féin TD Ruairí Ó Murchú in the Dáil last week, the Taoiseach said he was "very interested" in looking at examples of where the Government was not looking after the Deaf or visually impaired communities.
"These are very serious, lifelong disabilities, to lose your sight or to lose hearing. I think we can do better, particularly on the employment front," Micheál Martin said.
