Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Last June I raised the issue of the collapse of the HSE dental services across the State and since then the situation has gotten far worse, to the extent that the Irish Dental Association now believes that there are only 750 dentists actively treating medical card holders. This has led to shocking waiting lists across the State and also to the denial of services to countless people. There are more than 10,000 people on orthodontics lists waiting longer than a year and half of those people are waiting longer than three years. That is not acceptable for any patient or for any condition anywhere. Can the Taoiseach explain to me why there has not been an intervention from the Department of Health to deal with this growing crisis? Why are there no serious talks between the Department and the dentists to fix the dental treatment contract and to prioritise preventative oral healthcare? How will the Government ensure that older people, including workers and families on the lowest incomes, can access the good dental treatment they require?

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