Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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Mr. Walsh mentioned Laois earlier. My heart warmed when he said there are 12 dentists in the scheme but there is not. My secretary spent some time ringing around different dental practices. We got lists from the HSE. Right enough, there would have been 12 dentists in the scheme at one stage but it is down to one and that dentist will not take on new patients. I am open to correction on this but up to a couple of months ago, and we need to do it again, there was no one – absolutely no dentist – who would take on a DTSS patient. For somebody with a medical card who wanted dental treatment, there was nowhere to go. We are advising them to go to the HSE. For the local HSE centre, the only option locally is Tullamore. That is the situation for emergency care, or to beg, borrow or steal to go privately. The system has collapsed in the county. When I say collapsed, I am being truthful. If there has been a huge improvement, then I welcome it. If the scheme is collapsing, and the HSE has had protracted negotiations with the Irish Dental Association, is there an option to beef up the public provision for the DTSS? The HSE supplied me with figures for CHO 8 in response to a parliamentary question, or it might have been here. I cannot remember which. Is there an option of trying to employ a salaried dentist to fill the gap and pick up the emergency care? Is that being actively pursued?