Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the witnesses. Based on their statement we have major challenges in ensuring we have integrity in a process to oversee all dental practice in the country. There are varying views from other organisations and individuals. The bottom line is that we must consider this from the point of view of the patient or client. We need to ensure there is proper oversight and regulation in place along with disciplinary procedures, if necessary, when in breach of that.

By any stretch of the imagination, it is quite loose in the areas of dental hygiene, orthodontics, cosmetic surgery and the definition of a technician. We are consistently inclined to regulate those who are already regulated and not regulate those who should be regulated when introducing legislation regulating entities and it seems to be our difficulty in this case. We have met other individuals and groups. We have also seen the difficulty and damage done to people by those who are not fit to practice and should not be practising.

We have a variety of legislation underpinning regulation, including the Medical Practitioners Act and the Nurses and Midwives Act. I always thought the difficulty we had in regulating dentistry was in defining dental technicians, cosmetic surgery and cosmetic dental interventions. Those grey areas will be very challenging in the years ahead. As we have seen in other countries almost anybody can put a plaque on the wall and claim to do cosmetic surgery and cosmetic dentistry. Much of it is very invasive and potentially damaging to people.

That highlights all the obvious stuff but within that, how can we ensure that the legislation governing enforcement of fitness to practice, medical misadventure, etc. can encompass all those who are practising? We need to ensure they come into the system and are regulated. If they are not regulated, they are no longer in the system at all. The Dental Council of Ireland has almost no enforcement. It has no ability to inspect. What can it do to give me confidence that the plaque at the front door means a dentist at the top of the stairs? That is what people want to know. The legislation seems unclear in defining that and the Dental Council of Ireland is quite powerless in enforcing that.

Do the witnesses believe the new proposals will give Dental Council of Ireland more powers and - I am trying to avoid the term - more teeth. The bottom line is more teeth in all its facets to ensure people have confidence. I have come across cases of people who were given hope that their teeth could be resolved by special therapies, cleaning agents and all the rest of it, and it has worked out tragically. They then need to head back to dental hospitals in Cork to try to rectify all these issues.

Most people believe when they see a doctor's surgery that there is a good chance there is a doctor behind it. However, there are question marks when it comes to dentistry and that issue needs to be addressed once and for all. We have one chance to do it now. I ask the witnesses to highlight the key facets they have in their presentation and to give confidence to the public that we have integrity in the profession in all its aspects. I do not doubt the Dental Council of Ireland but it needs to ensure it is enforced.