Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The situation is very complex. Another area of delay is the assessment of primary school children. I was very privileged to benefit from being screened in primary school, in fourth or fifth class, and being taken into what was the Eastern Health Board system at the time. Through my teenage years, right up to the week before my leaving certificate, I had everything from crowns to braces all done through the State. I was discharged a week before my leaving certificate and I will never forget it, having been captured in the fourth or fifth class. We need to get back to that quickly.

I am encouraged a meeting took place on 17 December, but my understanding from that meeting is that the Department is looking at quarter 2 of 2022 to move this process forward. That is too late. We cannot be discussing this in terms of quarters; we need to be discussing it in terms of weeks.

There has been a breakdown of trust between the dentistry world and the Department. That has to be repaired. I would ask, and I would like to put it on record, that there would be an independent chair of the discussions between the Irish Dental Association, the Government and the Department on this. That is what is happening with the consultants at the moment. That is what happened previously when the dentists had negotiations with the Government. That should happen again to rebuild trust and get to where we need to be. As I said, we must ensure those who are most vulnerable and those who need it the most get dental care. We must ensure that those children who need screening as early as possible in primary school get it in fourth class instead of hoping to get it in sixth class, if, indeed, they get it at all. This will be based on successful negotiations done quickly and which will bring about a resolution. I ask that this is raised with the Minister in the strongest possible terms.

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