For anyone who is fed up scrambling around searching for their glasses first thing in the morning or trying to figure out where their contact lens has disappeared to, laser eye surgery is manna from heaven. Promising to fix your eyesight to near-perfect vision, the surgery exploded in popularity toward the end of the boom as intense competition forced prices down. Interest in the procedure remains high despite the recession, says Vincent Murphy, general manager of Ultralase Ireland, trading here for the past 18 months.

"People who enter into this kind of treatment have thought about it for quite a long time and then, ultimately, take the plunge. Absolutely, the recession is going to have an impact but we are trading well and we are very happy with the progress to date in the Irish market. For a lot of people, their eyesight is important to them and they are willing to pay for that," he says.

Having cost thousands when it was first introduced to Ireland in the 1990s, laser vision correction can now cost as little as €595 per eye. Compared to the ongoing cost of replacing glasses or contact lenses, the savings can be enormous. The procedure is made even more attractive by the fact that you can claim 20% of the total cost back in tax and providers have also worked out deals with the health insurers for discounts of up to 22.5%. You don't even have to wait the usual six months after taking out insurance to avail of these discounts – they apply from the day you sign up. However, there are huge differences in the prices charged by providers here, with the cost per eye rising to well above €2,000 in some cases.

The market leader at the moment is Optical Express which is the only provider to go as low as €595 per eye in Ireland. At the other end of the scale are hospital-linked providers such as the Blackrock Clinic (€2,200 per eye with a 15% discount for health insurance members) and the surgeon-led Wellington Eye Clinic (€2,050 with 15% discounts for VHI and Quinn members).

So why is it that Optical Express is able to charge less than a third of the price for a surgery with a similar outcome? The company was not in a position to comment for this article. However, on its website, the company says that its size – it has more than 230 clinics across Europe – means that it can pass on savings to customers.

"Since Optical Express is Europe's number one laser eye treatment provider, we benefit from economies of scale and in turn pass the saving on to you, unlike other providers who charge more to make up for their lower volume. Furthermore, Optical Express employs laser-trained optometrists and ophthalmologists instead of having to refer our patients elsewhere," the company states.

Laser vision correction for just €595 per eye is certainly very tempting, especially as the company adds in health insurance discounts (22.5% for Aviva members; 15% for VHI and Quinn) and tax rebate. At that rate, an Aviva member would pay a total of €922.25 for both eyes then claim another 20% back in tax relief, meaning the whole procedure would cost just €737.80. Given that most people will be replacing their glasses every two years at a cost of around €400, that's a good deal.

However, consumers should be aware that there is no guarantee that they will qualify for treatment at €595 an eye. Optical Express's pricing is based on your prescription so, to put it bluntly, the blinder you are, the more you pay.

You may notice from the picture above that Money Talks is visually challenged, so recently I put this to the test and was quoted a total of €2,500 for both eyes before discounts and tax rebates were applied. To be fair to the company, it is definitely possible to avail of the lowest rate – Money Talks is aware of one friend who did and is very happy with the results so this isn't a bait and switch operation – but be aware, that if your eyesight is particularly bad, it is unlikely.

The cost will ultimately depend on what you want: some providers will not use a blade during the procedure, for instance, and will be more expensive as a result. Prices rise from those in the mid-range – Optilase charges from €995 per eye (which can be halved with health insurance discounts and the tax rebate) and Ultralase charges €1,295 per eye for its basic treatment up to €2,495 for its most advanced (VHI and Quinn members get a 15% discount) – to the higher range prices quoted above.

However, in the case of Ultralase, the Wellington and Blackrock, a flat-rate charge applies regardless of the strength of your prescription. A spokesperson from Blackrock said many of their patients are reassured by the fact that the surgery is linked to a hospital where care is available around the clock in the unlikely event of something going wrong. In the case of the Wellington and Blackrock, the initial consultation is with the surgeon who carries out the procedure and costs €100. Ed Toland, general manager at the Wellington, says that consumers should shop around before making a decision.

"Certainly price is important but what should be more important is value. We would actively encourage patients to shop around. While there is an effort to control costs when it comes to laser eye surgery, especially if you are run by surgeons, they will want to have the best technology and we have taken delivery of two new lasers in the last six weeks. We would rather be seen as a premium clinic using the latest technology rather than competing solely on the basis of price," he says.

Although it is a money-saver in the long run, finding the lump sum for laser eye surgery can be difficult in these straitened times. If you are determined to have it done but don't have the money upfront, you should consider Ultralase's 'easy payment plan' which allows you to have the surgery and pay for it interest-free over a set period. You do not have to wait until the loan is paid off to avail of the tax rebate.