Dáil debates

Thursday, 19 January 2017

Topical Issue Debate

Dental Services Provision

4:55 pm

Photo of Imelda MunsterImelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Just for the record, I wish to confirm that I was at the meeting on 7 December.

There were four dental clinics operating in Drogheda to cater for all of the children in primary school throughout Drogheda and south Louth. As of the start of January 2017, no dental clinics are in operation in Drogheda or the south Louth area. It is expected that no dental service for primary school children will be in place before June 2017. This means that 200 primary school children per week will be without a local service over the course of the next six months, which could amount to just under 5,000 children, or 4,800 to be precise, while waiting for services to be reinstated.

I will give some background to the issue. There were two dental surgeries in the Haymarket clinic in Drogheda. These were removed and are no longer in operation. The other two clinics in the health centre at Ballsgrove were forced to close due to extensive fire damage. The new clinic that has been promised for the Boyne centre in Drogheda is not due to open for another six months. Primary school children are currently being referred to the Louth County Hospital in Dundalk, which is causing significant delays, disruption and gross inconvenience for children and their parents. The Minister of State would accept that it is unacceptable that upwards of 5,000 children would be left without a dental service for the next six months.

Will the Minister of State make provision, as a matter of urgency, for a mobile surgery unit to cover Drogheda and south Louth as an interim measure? Will she give consideration to granting emergency approval for same, given the absence of dental services in the south of the county?

We all know that, given an absence of services for six months and the number of children involved, this will cause gross inconvenience and disruption and a backlog will be created. I await the response of the Minister of State. In the absence of a decision, would she at least give a commitment to having the HSE provide transport arrangements, such as an hourly shuttle bus service to take patients to Dundalk or Navan during the six-month interim period?

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