Professor Mary McCarron:

I thank the Deputy. When it comes to oral care, we are lucky that we have the Dublin Dental Hospital and School. It has taken a very active role in this, Dr. Caoimhín Mac Giolla Phádraig and his team in particular, who are really interested in the oral health or marginalised populations such as prison populations, people with an intellectual disability and the homeless. These are all very marginalised groups. Many of these people were seeing the dentist; it was not that they were not seeing a dentist. They were seeing a dentist, but their oral health outcomes were worse. What is happening when they go to the dentist is the big issue. Many of them are struggling, as Senator O'Loughlin has said, to be able to access a dentist.

We all know that the biggest determinants of health are education and wealth. This population's ageing at this point is very much influenced by the history of our past, a past in which this population was not entitled to an education. Many of them are not employed and have very little wealth. Many of them will not have private health insurance and will not be able to buy private care. That is a real risk. How long will the wait be to get their hip operation done? Many of them will not have those resources. These are serious risks for this group, because many of them are not rich in either wealth or education. This particular cohort is ageing. It is to be hoped, and I am very hopeful, that future generations will look different, but we have to look after the population that is currently ageing and is with us now. There are some serious issues we need to address regarding the equity of that. Dr. McMahon might want to speak about the programme at St. Angela's.