Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

During the break between Dáil sittings we saw the first outing of the new communications union in national advertising - the colour ads and accompanying PR campaign that were rolled out highlighting the changes in funding by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection for dental cleaning and polishing services. It seems that the new interest in paid advertising that the Taoiseach brought to the Department remains in place.

Any expansion in a service is welcome, but what is not welcome is an advertising campaign being used to cover up a service which is in crisis.

I draw the attention of the Taoiseach to the appalling waiting lists for orthodontic treatment. People are waiting longer than 12 months - in some cases up to 24 months - for treatment. That bad news is never acknowledged and there are no advertisements about how bad the situation is. Thousands of children are waiting longer than 12 months for orthodontic treatment in every part of the country. In the grade 4 category, over 2,500 people have been waiting for over 13 months and a further 2,500 have been waiting for over 25 months, a total of 5,000. Close to 4,000 people are on waiting lists in the grade 5 category.

That gets to the core of the serious issues affecting children and teenagers waiting for orthodontic treatment. It is simply not good enough. People are annoyed when they see glossy full-colour advertisements from the Taoiseach's Department while at the same time the Government is failing to have any impact on issues affecting children in a significant way.

I raised the issue of hospices on previous occasions. People working in them are being treated very badly by the Government in terms of public pay policy. The Taoiseach said on the record of the House that hospices and section 29 companies were not subject to FEMPI. They were and I, and I understand Deputy Burton, met some of those affected recently. A documentary trail clearly illustrates that they were subject to FEMPI and were directed to take pay cuts by the HSE. They are now being denied pay restoration. Therefore, hospices have to pay their staff restored rates of pay. In many instances, they are €300,000 in the red as a result, depending on the size of the hospice.

It is an appalling and cynical way for a Government to treat our hospices. I have raised this issue on Leaders' Questions and the Order of Business. Has the Cabinet sub-committee agreed that what was done is wrong? Can he confirm that the wrong in respect of hospices and section 29 companies will be rectified?

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