Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for coming here today. Some of the questions I was going to ask have been asked, so I will not repeat them.

As I expected, the witnesses painted a very bleak picture. I agree with Deputy Ó Caoláin on forwarding the recommendations to the Minister in the hope that he can respond, notwithstanding the fact that there is a €12 billion overspend this year despite the progress we have made in tackling our economic problems. Is there any way to construct an argument to say that if a certain amount were spent on dentistry for children, it would save the State money because there would be less intervention at a later stage? That is the sort of argument that must be put forward to win at the moment. I had intended to ask the question Deputy Mitchell O'Connor asked on the difference between costs in Ireland and those abroad, but the witnesses have addressed the issue. Scaling and polishing were mentioned. How much would it cost to reintroduce them in the schemes referred to?

How much would the reintroduction of scaling and polishing cost? Is there an obligation for dentists to list their fees? When one looks at a large number of children, some are going to be in a worse state than others. Is there a way some of those could be prioritised? Could the Minister devise some scheme that would focus on those with desperate needs for treatment?