Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I would say it is a crisis because we know that in Galway, for example, we are getting phone calls regarding dentists being unavailable under the medical card scheme. There are any number of complications from the absence of dentists.

I understand that the review takes place every single year. The answer to the last question I had was regarding the review in 2020. We have had 2021 and 2022, and now we are in 2023. This crisis - the absence of dentists, dental nurses and hygienists - has existed and has been going on for a number of years. I hope the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, does not pass the Irish Dental Association office much longer and that he meets with them. I appreciate his positive response today but on a general basis, this did not happen overnight. It is not just that we have full employment now. This has been going on and there has been a failure to deal with it. The Irish Dental Association has highlighted it for a long time. I hope the Minister of State has that meeting as soon as possible.

See this speech in context