Results 81-100 of 8,202 for speaker:Seán Crowe

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Challenges Relating to the Provision of Dentistry Services: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Seán Crowe: I now invite members in for questions. Senator Conway will lead us off.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Challenges Relating to the Provision of Dentistry Services: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Seán Crowe: Mr. O'Flynn and Mr. Hourihan might direct me as to who would be best to answer those questions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Challenges Relating to the Provision of Dentistry Services: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Seán Crowe: I propose we take a short break, after which we will resume the discussion.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Challenges Relating to the Provision of Dentistry Services: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Seán Crowe: We will resume and I call on Deputy Crowe.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Challenges Relating to the Provision of Dentistry Services: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Seán Crowe: Does Mr. Hourihan want to answer?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Challenges Relating to the Provision of Dentistry Services: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Seán Crowe: We will have to move on.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Challenges Relating to the Provision of Dentistry Services: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Seán Crowe: I call Deputy Ó Murchú, who is a not a member of the committee.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Challenges Relating to the Provision of Dentistry Services: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Seán Crowe: I have a couple of questions. First, I welcome the fact that an oral health unit has been established. There seems to be some sort of movement in relation to that and that is positive. It is also positive that the representatives spoke about a new pathway for people from outside the EU for the assessment, etc. They gave the numbers. Again, that is a positive movement. The worrying...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Challenges Relating to the Provision of Dentistry Services: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Seán Crowe: It is scandalous. Mr. Hourihan mentioned the famous Kevin "Heffo" Heffernan in relation to that. It is good to hear his name being mentioned in these hallowed walls. It is good to hear that someone remembers him. It is scandalous that we do not have up to date legislation. On reading the witnesses' opening statement, particularly appendix 1 and some of the points they were making, while...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Challenges Relating to the Provision of Dentistry Services: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Seán Crowe: Has the council engaged with the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, or the Department on possible amendments to the existing legislation? Its proposals are there. For how long have they been on the table?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Challenges Relating to the Provision of Dentistry Services: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Seán Crowe: I will get back to the medical card issue again. Everyone has touched on it. First, is there a breakdown of dentists operating this scheme? Where are they located? Is there a list of dentists who will take the medical card? If someone has a medical card and cannot get access to a dentist, is there a list of somewhere someone can go in that regard? Does the Department have it or does the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Challenges Relating to the Provision of Dentistry Services: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Seán Crowe: I had previously asked the HSE and its representatives said that but again, this is for the benefit of people who are listening in or looking in today. Are more people leaving the medical card scheme? Is the tide going in or coming out in respect of it? Does the council have any sense of-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Challenges Relating to the Provision of Dentistry Services: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Seán Crowe: Am I right to say that under the current medical card scheme, it is more about extraction than saving the tooth? Is that the big challenge?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Challenges Relating to the Provision of Dentistry Services: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Seán Crowe: Again, we talked about the horrors but, particularly with regard to children, aside from adults, we have actually seen the horror caused by the neglect of oral health. The witnesses mentioned the fact there were 100,000 children last year. I do not understand why we have neglected this whole area of health, given the importance of oral health for the whole body, not just the mouth, and the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Challenges Relating to the Provision of Dentistry Services: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Seán Crowe: Do the witnesses believe there is additional capacity within the system? Reference was made to the site in Cork that was cancelled, as well as Trinity College and a number of other areas. If the subsidy was reconsidered in that regard, could that create additional capacity?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Challenges Relating to the Provision of Dentistry Services: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Seán Crowe: On that point, an increasing number of dentists are going down the aesthetic route. That issue has not been raised by members. Is that what Dr. Gallagher is talking about in the context of fewer hours of dental care being done?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Challenges Relating to the Provision of Dentistry Services: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Seán Crowe: It is another area where there is no register and no one is checking who these individuals are, their competency or anything else. Reference was made to the WHO agreement. What responsibilities will Ireland have in that regard? Will the agreement help with regard to what we are talking about here today and, in particular, the responsibilities of the State towards those coming into...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Challenges Relating to the Provision of Dentistry Services: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Seán Crowe: I think we have come to an end. We really appreciate the witnesses coming in. It has been very helpful. Is there any particular ask that the witnesses want of the committee? You have collectively raised a lot of issues and the clerk and myself are going to sit down to see where we go from here. There is the possibility of the Minister coming before us at some stage, but we also have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Challenges Relating to the Provision of Dentistry Services: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Seán Crowe: If there is legislation that requires pre-legislative scrutiny, the committee will prioritise that legislation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Challenges Relating to the Provision of Dentistry Services: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Seán Crowe: There will not be any blockage at this committee in the context of moving the legislation forward. We can ask the Minister about the legislation. I thank the representatives of the Irish Dental Association and the Dental Council for their engagement on this important matter. The committee will consider further how to follow up on the issues we have been discussing.