Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I will come back to that if Ms McGirr wants to look at the figures. I want to pick up again on the point about the dental service. The Minister will be aware that, over the last 15 years, almost a quarter of all dentists have left the service. There is a reduction of almost a quarter in dentists at a time when numbers in all other disciplines in healthcare are increasing significantly. We know that clinics are closing. There are long waiting lists. Virtually no preventative dental service is being provided. There is a collapse in the medical card system. In May, the Minister admitted there was a blind spot with regard to oral healthcare and raised the need for engagement with the Irish Dental Association. What has he done since then to address that blind spot? I cannot see any evidence in the budget for next year that there is a single cent extra for dental services, which are on the point of collapse. What has the Minister done about that?