Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

The dental service that operates at the moment is a very good service and we certainly do not want a disruption of that service. The private dentists who operate the system are a hugely valuable part of providing the services for medical card patients. This issue, like the pharmacy issue, has gone on for some considerable time. The negotiations have been ongoing in one form or another for several years. However, the Government must keep the dentists as part of the system because otherwise we would not be able to run the service. At the same time we must protect public expenditure and taxpayers' interest in it. It is the intention of the Minister, the Department of Health and Children and all of us to ensure the service continues. There is ongoing attention. The negotiations between the Irish Dental Association and the Department have been quite a long-running saga.

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