Mr. Fintan Hourihan:

Unfortunately, the numbers of schoolchildren denied screening has increased in recent years. There are a number of reasons for that. There was a backlog after Covid. There has been a continued widening of the gap between the number of dentists employed and the numbers needed. I said earlier that adults are now presenting to the HSE, be they medical card patients or international protection patients, and all of that means there is increased pressure on the HSE dental surgeons.

The numbers of schoolchildren denied screening is increasing over time because they never really caught up after Covid and additional pressures have been put on ever since.