Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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1039. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to reform the Dental Act 1985; if he will provide a timeline for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40695/23]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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1040. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to empower the Dental Council to inspect dental practices, to be given authority to regulate dental practices which are not owned by dentists, and to investigate allegations of dental care being provided by persons who are not registered dental practitioners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40696/23]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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1041. To ask the Minister for Health if he will set out a schedule of engagements that his Department has with the Dental Council on the matter outlined in the RTÉ Primetime investigates programme of 7 September 2023 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40697/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1039, 1040 and 1041 together.

The practice of dentistry is underpinned by a range of legislation, of which the Dentists Act 1985 is only one. Currently five separate state and regulatory agencies (Health Information and Quality Authority, Health Service Executive, Health and Safety Authority, Environmental Protection Agency and Local Authorities) have a regulatory interest and oversight of dental practices, primarily for the protection of the public.

While I am aware that the Dentists Act 1985 needs to be updated to align with other healthcare profession regulatory legislation, the Act was amended by the Regulated Professions (Health and Social Care) (Amendment) Act 2020, which was signed into law in October 2020.

In the context of the wider need to update dental legislation, the Department of Health is committed to reviewing the Dentists Act 1985. The protection of the public and ensuring high oral healthcare standards will continue to be the central focus of this work. The review and updating of the legislation also, necessarily, is directly related to the wider implementation of the National Oral Health Policy, which envisages a fundamental reform of oral health services. As such, any new legislation will also be informed by this work.

Additional resources have been allocated to commence this work to further strengthen the regulation of dentists in Ireland. The Department is currently undertaking preparatory scoping and planning work to support the review. As part of this preparatory scoping work, the Department is considering the necessary timelines required to deliver a robust, evidence based modern regulatory framework with due consideration to the policy alignment referenced above.

The Department meets with the Dental Council on a regular basis in order to discuss strategic and governance issues including the regulatory framework, the operation of the regulatory system and legislative reform. The Department will be engaging closely with the Dental Council as part of our work to reform The Dentists Act.