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

Specifically, though, I would like to see the breakdown for the DTSS. That does not exist and has not existed for some time. It is not possible - for a long time it has not been possible - to access the scheme because there is simply no dentist providing it. In that case, what is the HSE doing? What did it spend on it last year? What was the spend on? We might also ask what is being done to fill that gap. In fairness to local management or middle management, it did run a recruitment competition and put out an advertisement to try to recruit people, and it has been unsuccessful. Where is that at now? Has there been a second competition? Has consideration been given to other options in trying to recruit dentists into that public scheme who can provide it? There is substantial funding going into it, and here is the budget for it and there is no cap on it. It states that there is no cap on spending in CHO areas, yet we have no service. We will see where that goes.

That concludes consideration of correspondence.

Moving on to the work programme, at our next meeting, 25 May, we will engage with the Department of Justice to examine its appropriation account 2021, with a focus on expenditure and governance of international protection assessments. That question we are putting to the Department is timely. If the Department is before us next week, we might tell it to come in with an answer to that for us. On 1 June we will engage with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to resume our examination of its appropriation account. We will focus on the funding, governance and oversight of the cost-rental housing sector and expenditure on social and affordable housing. The following meeting, on 15 June, will be with Sport Ireland. On 22 June we will engage with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. Does any Member wish to raise any matter in respect of the work programme? Members have a draft work programme in front of them. I ask them to take a moment to look at it because it is important we fix the programme. We have a good schedule of work set out. Even between now and the end of the meeting, anybody who wishes to bring up anything should feel free to do so.

Is there any other business not on the agenda for today's public session? No.

We will now go into private session briefly before adjourning.