Louis O'Hara (Galway East, Sinn Fein)

Access to dental services is fundamental to a person's overall health. A person's income or means should not be a factor as to whether he or she can access the dental services he or she requires. However, we have seen a total collapse in the school screening programme, while adults with a medical card find it increasingly difficult to access care under the dental treatment services scheme, DTSS. Over the past number of years, we have seen the number of dentists who are participating in this scheme reduce, and people in need of dental services are forced to travel increasing distances for appointments. In my constituency of Galway East, there are just five dental practises to provide dental services to medical card holders. Not all of these will take on new patients.

I recently hosted a group from the Brothers of Charity and Galway Advocacy Council in Leinster House and their experience of the DTSS is grim. To quote one of the advocacy council members:

Medical card holders in Galway simply cannot get dental appointments. Every time we ring, we are told we can go on a waiting list. However, we have yet to find anyone who has come off the waiting list. Not getting appointments is leading to a deterioration of people's teeth, gums and general well-being. We want services in our locality. At the minute, we are travelling miles to get an appointment and many of us cannot drive.

The current situation is disgraceful. The Government is punishing ordinary families who cannot afford private healthcare as a result of incompetence and mismanagement.

Access to care needs to be on the basis of need, not ability to pay. We need to recruit and retain more dentists and, crucially, ensure greater participation in the DTSS so medical card holders can access care in a timely manner.

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