Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

I mentioned in my reply that the bulk of the claims to which I refer came from eight dental practices. In fairness to the officials in the relevant section of the Department, they copped on very quickly to what was happening and started to contact the dentists in question. By the time they contacted the third dentist, the word had got out and he was expecting the telephone call. Two professional groups of people - opticians and dentists - were affected by the decision that was announced on budget day. When I met the opticians, I found they were particularly keen to retain the examination, which is the best way of identifying real problems. As a result, the examination was retained and there has not been a word from the opticians since. They are getting on with their work in a professional manner. By contrast, the dentists conducted an enormous campaign, involving postcards as well as radio and television advertising. They were well within their rights to do so. A number of dentists are making an awful lot of money from the system. Eligible people who properly made their appointments and submitted their applications will, of course, continue to be treated in the first few months of this year. It is important for professional bodies like those we are discussing to realise that these cuts were made with difficulty.

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