Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There are two different things with two different timelines involved. We have allocated €10 million as a recognition that, as the Deputy rightly says, several hundred dentists have left the scheme since the start of the Covid pandemic. It is my view this €10 million is to increase some of the fees, which is necessary to attract dentists into the scheme, and to add in things like scale and polish services. There is an ongoing conversation between the Department and the Irish Dental Association. They have had two meetings and they are having another in approximately two weeks' time. At the same time, we need a root-and-branch reform of the dental scheme more generally. Talks need to start on that this year. My view, and I believe the Deputy shares the same concern, is that the area of dentistry and oral health is one of the sharpest ends of the issue of affordability of healthcare and people not getting the care they need because of the costs.