Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

I wish to raise the issue of the cuts to the dental treatment services scheme. As Deputies are aware, the scheme is designed to provide basic dental treatment to medical card holders. While I appreciate the need for budgetary cuts to ensure we get the public finances on the right path, this cut could have been managed far better. When the Minister for Finance made his Budget Statement on 9 December 2009, the HSE knew that the 2010 budget for this scheme would be €63 million. However, it decided to wait until 26 April last to issue a directive to dentists on how the scheme might come in under budget for 2010. Four months of the year had passed by the time any corrective action was taken. The depth of the cuts was far more severe and harsh than would have been required if corrective action had been taken in December, when the budget for the year was made known.

It seems from my cursory knowledge of the dental profession that the circular issued on 26 April is unworkable and impractical. As a result of the circular, a person with a medical card is no longer entitled to a basic cleaning from his or her local dentist. That is unacceptable. I will read an excerpt from an e-mail I have received from a dentist I know well:

I am embarrassed when I have to deal with my Medical Card patients because of this HSE directive. I looked after one of my patients today when he presented in pain. I was able to relieve the pain by the removal of two infected teeth. He has had 5 operations on his throat over the last 3 years for cancer treatment and the remaining teeth are in a poor state. Before the HSE directive arrived, I would have filled 4 of his remaining 7 teeth to preserve them and his dignity and prevent further pain. Now I must wait under the new terms as these teeth are not causing pain, until he presents in pain, so that I can remove the offending infected and painful tooth. This will be a gradual and painful exercise that as a caring health care professional I will not tolerate. This is unethical, unprofessional and unfair. This patient has no teeth from the lower jaw that meet with the teeth in the upper jaw, that is, he has no teeth to bite with. Up until a few days ago, I would have gladly made him a set of dentures to improve his ability to chew, speak and give him some dignity in his appearance. Now I am unable to, unless he qualifies under ''approved emergency circumstances'' [as set out in the HSE circular] and I have no idea how and what the qualification for this is.

That sums up very well the difficulty this directive is presenting to dentists in the profession. This is a savage cut. Sufficient funding should be made available to allow basic dental care to be provided to medial card holders. I call on the Minister to ensure that can be achieved.

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