Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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It is fair to say, as Mr. Gloster said, the extra 20% is there. The number of extra ones being treated needs to be looked at. Some figures have been given for that but the facts are that the DTSS scheme and the schools scheme will have to have a large public element as we move into Sláintecare. It is not working. I say to the management team here that they have to accept that this is not working. It is just not happening. Children are coming out of school without ever having seen a dentist or not seeing one until it is too late. Orthodontics has been dealt with; I will not go back there. The witnesses know the picture in that area. I have heard of numerous cases in the past ten or 12 years in which children come out at 18 - some people think they are waiting for them to hit 18 because then they are out of the system - having not got he orthodontic treatment. We are not even able to get the basic one right, the primary school dental scheme, nor the DTSS scheme for emergencies - it is emergency work. That is not acceptable, given the budget available. Will the witness come back to me with accurate figures, not in relation to the numbers who say they are in the scheme but the numbers who will take a patient? That is the picture, unless it has changed in the past 14 or 15 weeks. I am open to correction. Regarding the school situation, will the witnesses provide accurate figures regarding what classes children are being seen in?

To be a little parochial, I wish to mention to Mr. Gloster Abbeyleix nursing unit and the step-down facilities. I raised it with him on his last visit to the committee and we have spoken about it since. He honoured the commitment to visit the site, which I welcome. One can imagine, 12 years ago it was nearly being closed - a 4.5-acre site in the middle of the town. Mr. Gloster saw it for himself. I think I mentioned to him that I hoped he would see the potential in it when he went; I think he has. In relation to that, is it the HSE's plan to increase the number of public nursing home beds? The 80:20 was mentioned - 80% in private - which has a role. In terms of public, is it the HSE's plan to continue reducing that and to just use those facilities for respite?