Frank O'Rourke (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Office of the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this matter and the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, for coming in to take it. This is about dental services and occupational therapy in Celbridge and the surrounding area. I will deal with dental services first. I was contacted by numerous parents in Kilcock, Maynooth, Leixlip and Celbridge who have concerns about access to dental services in local communities. They have been told that the service will be moved to a central location, namely, the new primary care centre in Celbridge. They do not typically have an issue with that but they are concerned about when this will happen. While they were given information, no detail has been provided. I tabled a parliamentary question and contacted the HSE via the Deputies' line in order to ask for this information so that we could give it to parents, schools and the public in general. Although it is a priority for community health organisation, CHO, 7, I was informed in April that, alarmingly and astonishingly, there is no date or plan to put it in place and to commence provision of those services in Celbridge for the wider area. I hope the Minister of State will have some different information for me. Dental services are not even available in Celbridge at present. Parents who take their children to the dental service in Celbridge have been asked to go to Naas for the last weeks. Naas is approximately 30 to 40 minutes away by car. If one wants to go by public transport, one has to get a taxi or train to Sallins and then a taxi from Sallins to Naas. It is not straightforward logistically and there is a financial implication. It causes much difficulty and hardship for families, and a lot of stress because they do not know what is happening. When will the dental services be in place in Celbridge for Celbridge, Kilcock, Maynooth and Leixlip? Does the Minister of State have a date and a plan?

Occupational therapy services are not currently available in the Celbridge primary care centre for children over 16 years of age. They have to go to Clane for that service. Again, there are logistical problems, such as for families who do not have two cars. Someone who needs occupational or physical therapy may be a child with special needs or someone with a particular challenge, so it is not that simple or straightforward to commute with him or her by public transport or by taxi to Clane, which is nearly 15 minutes away.

We have a wonderful primary care centre in Celbridge. On Leaders' Questions earlier, the Taoiseach advocated for primary care and the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, did so at Question Time yesterday. We all advocate for primary care because if it is financed, resourced and staffed properly, it can be a great front-line service to communities and can ensure that people can avoid having to travel long distances for care and stay away from accident and emergency units. The problem we have in some cases is that the basic services, such as occupational therapy, physiotherapy and dental services, are not in place. We must examine how they can be resourced better so as to play a more integral part in the community and to provide the service we all want them to provide. I would very much appreciate some information from the Minister of State on those services and when they will be in place.

Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy O'Rourke for the opportunity to address the matter of dental and occupational therapy services provided by the HSE in Celbridge and Maynooth. The public dental service of the HSE treats children up to the age of 16 and persons of all ages with special needs at its dental clinics. This is an operational matter for the HSE, which has advised that a modernisation plan for the dental service in CHO 7 will create a larger, modern and more appropriate dental location for north County Kildare, based in Celbridge. The new location will service the current Maynooth and Celbridge clinics and the previous clinic in Leixlip, which is now closed.

The Celbridge clinic closed in June 2018 for refurbishment in order to enable it to comply with new regulations. The refurbishment is on the HSE capital programme and is a priority for CHO 7. The contract for the refurbishment work was put out to tender and tender returns are currently being reviewed by HSE Estates. The HSE capital plan for 2019 is being finalised. Funding will be dependent on the capital available and competing priorities. Currently, the Maynooth clinic is operating five days a week. The dentist in the surgery is due to retire in September. The HSE is engaged in recruitment to replace dental staff. It is intended that the services provided in Maynooth will be relocated to Celbridge after the clinic in Celbridge is refurbished and reopened. There will be no loss of service to patients as a result of the move. While the dental clinic in Celbridge is closed, all patients are being offered services as close as possible to Celbridge. Routine dental services are being provided in the HSE dental clinics in Naas while emergency services are available from all HSE dental clinics located across the dental area, as per normal. The HSE is actively monitoring this service and will ensure that all patients will continue to be offered appointments.

With regard to occupational therapy, OT, services, I can assure the Deputy that both the adult and paediatric services continue to be based in Celbridge and Maynooth primary care centres. The HSE advises that all priority 1 adult cases are seen within five days in both Celbridge and Maynooth, although there is an accepted need to do more to reduce waiting times for children both locally and nationally. Service improvements in occupational therapy delivery include a number of health promotion groups running in Celbridge primary care centre, while staff from the OT department are working closely with parents in a new three-tiered approach which involves more parent coaching sessions.

In Maynooth, the OT department is reviewing the model of service delivery to include consultation, universal education and support, including drop-in clinics and home programmes, where appropriate, and a targeted approach for children where individualised intervention is indicated on assessment. I can advise the Deputy that there is a funding allocation in 2019 for the recruitment of 170 community nursing and therapy posts. Included in that, are 40 occupational therapy posts. The allocation of the posts will be determined following consultation with the CHOs.

Frank O'Rourke (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for his reply. What was missing is a date for the opening of the clinic in Celbridge. I accept that the clinic had to close for the refurbishment. It is a positive development that the new primary care centre is coming to Celbridge, because the centre was built and developed to provide the services for Celbridge and the wider catchment area. That is all positive, but the Minister of State will understand the difficulties experienced by parents in Celbridge who are trying to get a service for their children. The closest service is in Naas and everyone is being directed there, despite what the Minister of State said to the effect that patients are being offered services as close as possible to Celbridge. That is not the case. Naas is 30 to 40 minutes away and it is not logistically possible to get to it directly by public transport. The situation is not as straightforward as has been presented.

Given that the refurbishment work has gone to tender and the tenders are being reviewed there must be an indication of the cost involved. When will the work start to bring the new dental service to Celbridge and when will it be ready for children to access the dental services they need there. I have been trying to distil the information for the past six months. I accept that the Minister of State is trying to help but the crux of the issue relates to when the service will be up and running in Celbridge for local children and the children of Kilcock, Maynooth and Leixlip. That is the critical issue. If the Minister of State is not able to provide a definitive timeframe today, I hope he can do so within the next week before the Dáil rises so that we would have some clarity.

The Minister of State indicated that occupational therapy services are provided in Celbridge but that is not the case with physiotherapy. In addition, unfortunately, patients are not being seen in five days. Children with special needs have particular challenges and an assessment of needs sets out what they require but after the assessment has been carried out it can take between six and 12 months before they get into a programme of treatment. Unfortunately, that is the reality on the ground. We want to work with the Minister of State to improve the situation.

Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Unfortunately, I do not have a date. As already stated, this is an operational matter for the HSE so I will have to revert back to it to get the dates sought by the Deputy.

In April, Smile agus Sláinte, the new national oral health policy was published. Smile agus Sláinte provides the guiding principles to transform our current oral healthcare service over the next eight years. Under the policy, all children up to 16 years will receive eight oral healthcare packages, including examinations, assessments, advice, prevention interventions, emergency care and referral as appropriate. Oral healthcare packages will also be provided for medical card holders over 16 years. The packages will be provided in a primary care setting by oral healthcare practitioners contracted by the HSE. In 2020, the introduction of packages of care for children under six years of age will be prioritised. In addition, there will be a focus on enabling vulnerable adults to access their local dentist as a first point of contact and ensuring that they are referred to the HSE community oral healthcare service or other appropriate service, if required. In total, 41 actions have been identified and implementation will take place over the next eight years.

Smile agus Sláinte provides the groundwork to transform oral health services. It embraces the same ideals as Sláintecare with the needs of people at the core and where the provision of services in the local community is paramount. As outlined, there has been no diminution in occupational therapy services in Celbridge and Maynooth and the HSE remains committed to achieving the optimum outcomes for service users.