Mr. Fintan Hourihan:

The number of eligible patients is currently at 1.5 million. It has increased from 1.4 million, probably in the last five years although I would have to check the figures on that. It is also important to remember the participation. Usually about one in three eligible patients would visit their dentist for at least an examination but as was confirmed it is now down to barely 20% or one in five in the past year. This is for understandable enough reasons in lots of ways but even in normal times barely one in three eligible patients was availing of the scheme which is a pretty damning indictment of it in ordinary circumstances.