Seán Kyne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I recall one of our primary school teachers in 1985 or 1986 asking us if we have brushed our teeth that morning. Maybe they had seen something on the television or something that prompted them to do that.

I know this is a sensitive area but there were issues in a practice in Oranmore, County Galway last year. I can understand that the witnesses will not want to speak on that and I will not dwell on it. However, the immediate aftermath of the closure of that practice meant the children had no place available. It was likely a capacity issue in some regards but because of the complex nature of some of the cases or patients being at different stages or perhaps because the practice had been paid upfront or whatever, parents were left in a very difficult place as regards where they would get care for their children. There was either a capacity issue or a reluctance to engage patients that the orthodontists themselves would not have seen up to that stage. I engaged with the Dental Council at the time and it referred to the 1985 legislation in relation to what was possible. There were insurance issues, there was reimbursement and all sorts of difficulties that precluded a satisfactory intervention by the Dental Council. Parents would have been advised that they would have to go outside of Galway or even outside of Connacht to find orthodontic care for their children. I know there are sensitivities that the witnesses may not wish to speak about but just in general, what do they think could be improved in this area? Does it relate back to the legislation? There is no reason to believe this could not happen in the future in another practice.