Dáil debates

Wednesday, 25 November 2009

8:00 pm

Photo of Ulick BurkeUlick Burke (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this important matter. I apologise for my late arrival which was the result of a misapprehension that a division would be called at the conclusion of the debate on farming and the agrifood sector.

I have grave concern about the neglect of 2,500 schoolchildren in 24 national schools in the Loughrea and Portumna catchment area who have been without a dental service for almost two years. In addition, dental hours in the area have been reduced by half. This is due primarily to the early retirement from the dental service of a wonderful professional, which had a major impact on schoolchildren and their dental health. It is the second time such circumstances have arisen in the area in recent years.

It is an act of neglect of parents and children in south-east County Galway by the Health Service Executive in failing to provide the area with a locum until a permanent appointments is made. It strikes me that the organisation is trying to suppress the appointment of a dentist in the area and reallocate the money saved for use in other areas. There is no indication that the HSE has made a reasonable move to seek a replacement. Due to the illness and early retirement of the excellent dental surgeon in question, we feel once more neglected by the HSE locally. Given that similar vacancies in other areas have been filled almost immediately, why has the Loughrea-Portumna area been neglected again?

In the current economic climate, the service has come under great pressure as increasing numbers of children have become eligible to avail of it. While the service is important to national schoolchildren, it also serves children at second level up to 16 years and children with special needs, including those attending St. Dympna's day care centre in Portumna. There is also a gap up to the school leaving age of 16, and these people also have to go without.

There is no possibility of cover from the other areas adjoining this area, except in the case of emergencies, because the other dental surgeons in the adjoining areas are already stretched in dealing with waiting lists. I call for an immediate response from the HSE to fill this post and not to allow for this continued neglect. Nothing less is acceptable following this shameful neglect of the children, in particular those children with special needs. Whether the HSE neglect has taken place locally or at national level, this particular situation cannot be allowed to continue without an indication of a date for an appointment.

Photo of Barry AndrewsBarry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I am happy to have the opportunity to address the issue of the appointment of a dentist to the Loughrea and Portumna area of County Galway, as raised by Deputy Burke. The Health Service Executive has the responsibility to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. This includes the delivery of dental and oral health services.

The vacancy in question has arisen from the retirement of a dental surgeon based in Loughrea. This has led to a gap in the dental screening service provided to schools in this and other areas. At the moment, a principal dental surgeon and another dentist are attending to priority groups in the Loughrea area and dental teams in surrounding clinics are accommodating emergencies from this area.

In order to implement savings measures on public service numbers, the Government introduced a moratorium on recruitment, promotion, or payment of an allowance for the performance of duties at a higher grade with effect from 27 March 2009 to the end of 2010. A HSE circular has issued which gives effect to the Government decision in the public health services and other specific aspects of the employment control framework for the health services. The Government decision has been modulated to ensure that key services are maintained so far as possible in the health services, particularly in respect of children at risk, older people and persons with a disability.

The employment control framework specifically exempts staff in the following front line grades in the health sector from the moratorium — medical consultants, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, clinical psychologists, behaviour therapists, counsellors, social workers, and emergency medical technicians. The framework actually allows for a growth in the number of those posts within the overall approved employment ceiling — 111,800 whole time equivalents — for the health sector. The framework also includes provision for the creation of 225 new development posts this year for cancer, mental health and disability services. In addition, special provisions apply to certain specialist grades under the national cancer control programme. The focus on these key grades is in line with existing Government policy on the prioritisation of certain development areas, for which significant funding has already been provided. The overall result will be to assist in the reorientation of health employment to services delivered in primary and community care.

The Department of Health and Children has not received an application from the HSE for a derogation from the moratorium to fill the general dental surgeon post in Loughrea.

Photo of Ulick BurkeUlick Burke (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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For shame.

Photo of Barry AndrewsBarry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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In order to make such an application, savings would have to be made elsewhere. It is a matter for the HSE to identify where such savings can be made and to prioritise the delivery of health and social services to those with greatest needs.

Photo of Ulick BurkeUlick Burke (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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So they are subsuming the money.

Photo of Barry AndrewsBarry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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However, I do understand that the local area monitoring unit in the HSE is considering an application to fill this vacancy. The operation of the employment control framework, including the moratorium on recruitment, is kept under review by this Department, in consultation with the Department of Finance and the Health Service Executive.

The HSE will be focusing on the scope that exists within the health services for the reorganising and restructuring of work in order to minimise the impact on essential service delivery. The redeployment and reassignment of existing staff will also support the reorientation of care from hospitals to the community and to facilitate the development of integrated care. It is seeking a high level of flexibility from staff and unions to achieve this.