Cathy Bennett (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

We are fortunate in Ireland to have the most highly qualified and dedicated healthcare professionals in the world. Generally, aside from the notable exceptions, when people receive care they give a sterling endorsement of the care they receive. The problem is that access to healthcare across the State is plagued by waiting lists, vacancies in key roles and the State even breaking the law by its failure to provide assessments of need.

Despite cross-party reports, Sláintecare commitments or general election manifestoes, unfortunately insurance remains an important aspect of many people's healthcare planning. Even insurance does not work for people in many cases. This is why I welcome the amendment to the Bill from my party colleague and Sinn Féin spokesperson on health, Deputy Cullinane, mandating a review of the current rate of profit of healthcare providers and an analysis of the potential impact of the removal of private practice from public hospitals on a cost of health insurance.

People are being ripped off when it comes to healthcare in the State. They are ripped off by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, who in government have failed to adequately utilise our taxes to deliver a public healthcare system that works. They are ripped off again by private insurers, if they can afford that.

One area I want to touch on is dental care. Last year, no child in the 2024-2025 academic year in County Monaghan received their annual dental checkup. The HSE informed me that is due to maternity leave and retirements. That implies it is due to the HSE's poor workforce planning. If the situation is so dire, and no workforce planning could surmount the challenge of delivering school dental checkups in Monaghan this year, then it is the fault of the Government and previous Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil Governments for failing to train enough dental professionals. Families in Monaghan are being ripped off by the Government. They are paying their taxes and the Government is failing to provide their children with the most basic foundational level of dental care. In the years to come, if these children take up health insurance, most ordinary plans will not include dental care.

Dundalk services Monaghan for orthodontic care - it is a disgrace that children in Monaghan have to go to Dundalk. There was a vacancy for a consultant post and two specialist orthodontists post. With the current staff comprising two dental nurses, a part-time dental hygienist and a part-time clerical officer, it seems there was no consultant to serve the entire region, including Monaghan. This is utterly scandalous and is happening on the watch of the Minister.

We know early intervention delivers better and more cost-effective care. We know developing good habits in terms of oral hygiene at an early age likewise leads to better outcomes and is the most effective for ordinary people and the taxpayer. However, the situation the Minister is currently standing over in Monaghan does not deliver that. The county has been utterly abandoned by this Government in terms of dental and ortho dental care. The Government has ripped them off. People pay their taxes and the Government is not delivering a substandard service; it is delivering no service at all. It is leaving people to go private or get private insurance where, again, they are being ripped off.

Sinn Féin has outlined our plans to train enough dental professionals to deliver the services people pay for and are entitled to through their taxes. I ask the Minister to reflect on this because the status quo in Monaghan is entirely unacceptable. I appeal to the Minister to accept Deputy Cullinane's amendment to the Bill, so that we can address and end the rip-off insurance that many people across this country are burdened with, arising from the Government's poor stewardship of our health services.

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