Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for her reply. I am heartened to hear what she said because this is an urgent matter. She will have noted from the email I received from one of my constituents, which I read into the record, that this man is in his 70s and had been working. He received his over 70s medical card but it is of no benefit if he is unable to get an appointment. I heard what the Minister of State said with respect to the Irish Dental Association and the Minister. Apart from him asking his officials to engage, the number of dentists leaving the scheme is astounding. The Minister should engage directly to make sure the scheme is not eroded further or we will have a very serious crisis on our hands.

The same issue arises when it comes to doctors, although not with medical card patients. Many of my constituents email me complaining they cannot access the doctor as a private patient, for example, when they have moved into an area. One man told me recently he lives in my area but has to return to Navan for a standard GP visit.

The gentleman whose email I read into the record takes Warfarin and he does not make an appointment at the last minute. He needs regular dental check-ups. Equally, many people attending for medical or operational procedures in our hospital healthcare system have to visit the dentist before they will be given an anaesthetic. Those people cannot always pay for the service. They may be under the medical card scheme and the dental treatment services scheme. I know the Minister of State will report to the Minister the urgency of the matter and the detrimental effect it will have if the numbers leaving the scheme continue to be eroded in this vein.

If the Leas Cheann Comhairle will permit me, I would like to briefly ask the Minister of State to consider speaking with the National Immunisation Advisory Committee, NIAC, on the roll-out of the second vaccine for those in the 60 to 69 age cohort. That second vaccine is primary for the protection of those in a vulnerable age category against the Delta variant and it is important it is rolled out as soon as possible.

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