Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

That is okay. It was just to clarify that. There are negotiations going on and I do not want the officials to announce what is going on but we are dealing with thousands of private businesses because each dental practice is a private business. That is fair enough. I am not hung up on that. It is the business they are in. They have all come together and they have an association with substantial leverage. They have the HSE, the Department of Health and us where nothing will move until they decide to move.

They will say they have justice on their side and they are not getting enough money and perhaps there is some merit in all that but it has been a problematic as long as I can remember and now it has reached the point where it has collapsed. We can accept that. I am not blaming anyone here for that but the system is not working. Maybe Mr. Watt can come in on this. Has the Department considered recruiting directly employed salaried dentists to work in the HSE to provide emergency services or services to medical card patients? Is that happening or has any consideration been given to it? I am thinking about Sláintecare in particular.