Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

As soon as the Minister became aware of the issue he made inquiries and treated it as a priority. It is not unreasonable to expect that a comprehensive report would take a month or even two to conclude. The report will concentrate on the outstanding issues such as the re-use of the braces and the contact made in that regard. The issue is being dealt with internally in the orthodontic unit in Merlin Park. The infection teams have been there, as has HIQA, and reassessment has taken place of the training provided. The outstanding issue is the re-use of the braces within the private sector. It begs the question of whether the private sector dentist knew the braces were coming from another dental practice. They are the key questions that require to be answered. It is not unreasonable that we would await the compilation of the report.

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