Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

There are unacceptable delays in children and young adults accessing orthodontic care in Cavan and Monaghan. This morning, again, I spoke to a young mother whose 14-year-old son, with a category 5A classification in relation to provision of dental braces, was told he would be lucky to be seen in another year.

Oftentimes, in relation to healthcare provision, we are told that a lack of capacity, both public and private, is the problem. This is not the case for orthodontic treatment. A welcome initiative by the HSE was the introduction of an orthodontic framework agreement to enable patients referred by the HSE to have orthodontic care provided by capable and competent private orthodontic service providers. I understand that contracts have been awarded and relevant personnel have gone through Garda vetting but the scheme is not operational.

Our public dental system is not in a position to provide an adequate level of service to meet demand in a timely manner. In some cases, parents have to access treatment for their children outside our jurisdiction. At the same time, the capacity is here in the State to ensure that children and young adults get orthodontic care in a timely manner.

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