Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for her reply but she did not address the core issue underlying the matter, namely, the potential risk of infection for the children involved in the debacle. Everyone has said checks and balances will be put in place but what is being done about the potential risk of infection for the children who were involved? The HSE is failing to deal with public health and infection issues and is using the excuse that it cannot comment because the matter relates to an individual member of staff. I want reassurances on the issues relating to infection that I have raised publicly and on which I have written privately to the Minister. I raised the issue on a couple of occasions by way of parliamentary question with the Minister of State, Deputy White. The response that I have received is not good enough; that the Minister is waiting for the HSE to come back to him on whether there are any outstanding issues.

The Minister of State, Deputy White, has been aware of the matter for a month. We should know what has happened since then. When did the Dental Council become aware of the matter? Why is it only now that it is inquiring into the matter and making it a priority? Why has it not been a priority in the past four years? When was the dental authority in the UK made aware of the matter, and was it informed that the dentist was not allowed to have direct patient contact in this jurisdiction? What steps have been taken in the past four years to deal with the potential risk of infection? Those critical issues must be clarified because there have been significant breaches of cross-infection control procedures and of data protection.

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