Mr. Fintan Hourihan:

I will comment briefly before inviting Dr. O'Neill to come in. Smile agus Sláinte was published in April 2019. There has been no progress on it, largely due to Covid-19 but there had not been any before that either.

All dentists are trained in orthodontic care and treatment but some instances will require specialist care and treatment, and there are specialist orthodontists. There is a role for all dentists in orthodontic care but the service that is the subject of all the waiting lists is provided for people with severe orthodontic needs on an established index of treatment need.

I will ask Dr. O'Neill to comment on that.

We certainly see that there is scope for hygienists and nurses to assume additional duties, but it is important that it be done in an orderly way, which recognises that patients are still under the overall responsibility and treatment of the dentist. Change certainly is possible in this regard but it should be arranged in an orderly way.

I invite Dr. O'Neill to address some of the other specific queries.