David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome witnesses. I will start with the dental treatment services scheme. As Mr. Hourihan stated, that system has essentially collapsed. Fewer than half of the dentists who were in the scheme a number of years ago remain in it. My primary concern is that people with medical cards would get access to good oral health. My office has been inundated with people from across the State. Many people from my constituency have contacted my office. Given that I my party's national spokesperson on health, I have also been contacted by many others across the State. These people simply have no access to dental care and must travel various distances to find dentists who will take them. In whatever way we do it, we have to fix the problem.

I have spoken to the Minister about this matter on several occasions. He will say that additional funding was made available in the budget two years ago, along with some additional funding last year, to increase the fees and to bring back the scale and polish service. This is what was provided for. Am I correct in saying that the concern, if I can put it like that, on the part of dentists and the IDA is that whatever fees are in place are not reflective of the cost of the care? Is that where the problem lies?