Results 1,321-1,340 of 8,649 for speaker:Seán Crowe

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Funding (6 Jul 2023)

Seán Crowe: 356. To ask the Minister for Health how the additional €3.5 million announced in Budget 2023 for community and voluntary providers of drug and alcohol services is to be spent; the amount of that €3.5 million already allocated; a tabular breakdown of what organisations received a portion of that €3.5 million; and how much. [33384/23]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Irish Dental Association Strategic Workforce Plan: Irish Dental Association (5 Jul 2023)

Seán Crowe: Apologies have been received from Deputy Shortall. Before we get to the main item on today's agenda, minutes of the committee meetings on 27 and 28 June have been circulated to members for consideration. Are they agreed? Agreed. The purpose of the meeting today is for the joint committee to consider the Irish Dental Association's recently released strategic workforce plan and related...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Irish Dental Association Strategic Workforce Plan: Irish Dental Association (5 Jul 2023)

Seán Crowe: I thank the Deputy. It is a recurring issue in terms of workforce planning. It has been raised by members at each of the past four or five meetings. We can certainly review that when we are in private session next week.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Irish Dental Association Strategic Workforce Plan: Irish Dental Association (5 Jul 2023)

Seán Crowe: It also impacts on the healthy teeth. Dentists have mentioned to me that if a crown or implant is not properly positioned it can lead to cracks in other teeth.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Irish Dental Association Strategic Workforce Plan: Irish Dental Association (5 Jul 2023)

Seán Crowe: Will Dr. Croke expand on what the Minister needs to sign off on regarding specialties? I am sure that as a committee, we would be more than helpful in trying to move this on. Will he detail what exactly the Minister has to do? He said the Minister has to sign off on specialist care. Does that mean additional funding? Is it a title? What exactly is he signing off on?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Irish Dental Association Strategic Workforce Plan: Irish Dental Association (5 Jul 2023)

Seán Crowe: Dr. Croke might dust off that document from 2014, update it and send it on to us.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Irish Dental Association Strategic Workforce Plan: Irish Dental Association (5 Jul 2023)

Seán Crowe: We will certainly follow that up.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Irish Dental Association Strategic Workforce Plan: Irish Dental Association (5 Jul 2023)

Seán Crowe: I believe the point being made is that there is a difficulty with capacity. The reason so many students are being brought in from abroad is that they pay for the running of the college. The argument is that, if there was greater subvention and supports for the college, there would be no necessity for places to be taken up by people coming in from abroad.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Irish Dental Association Strategic Workforce Plan: Irish Dental Association (5 Jul 2023)

Seán Crowe: Did Mr. Hourihan mention that plans to establish a new college at some stage were put on hold? Does he know what is happening in that regard?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Irish Dental Association Strategic Workforce Plan: Irish Dental Association (5 Jul 2023)

Seán Crowe: That is something the committee could follow up on.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Irish Dental Association Strategic Workforce Plan: Irish Dental Association (5 Jul 2023)

Seán Crowe: It is Cork, so it has to be important. Is the Deputy finished? Yes. I just want to follow up on something that was mentioned and there are a couple of points I want to make. Mr. Hourihan mentioned that there have been no meaningful negotiations. In March 2021, I put a question to the Minister regarding the medical card scheme and, at the time, he said that he was in negotiations and was...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Irish Dental Association Strategic Workforce Plan: Irish Dental Association (5 Jul 2023)

Seán Crowe: When was the last serious negotiation?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Irish Dental Association Strategic Workforce Plan: Irish Dental Association (5 Jul 2023)

Seán Crowe: Mr. Hourihan talked about people leaving the scheme and said there are certain parameters within the scheme that are causing frustration. From the Department's perspective, was there abuse of the scheme? Were people doing elaborate dentistry work? Is the Irish Dental Association aware of any shady dealings?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Irish Dental Association Strategic Workforce Plan: Irish Dental Association (5 Jul 2023)

Seán Crowe: Mr. Hourihan described a blind spot in this regard. Would he like to elaborate on that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Irish Dental Association Strategic Workforce Plan: Irish Dental Association (5 Jul 2023)

Seán Crowe: The Minister agrees that there is a blind spot and that it might be a good idea to resolve this issue but there are no meaningful negotiations. Earlier on, we were talking about selecting a dentist. I do not want the wrong message to go out. There are people who have travelled abroad who are very happy with the treatment they got. Is there a sort of checklist people can use when selecting...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Irish Dental Association Strategic Workforce Plan: Irish Dental Association (5 Jul 2023)

Seán Crowe: Does Dr. Croke wish to elaborate on that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Irish Dental Association Strategic Workforce Plan: Irish Dental Association (5 Jul 2023)

Seán Crowe: That is great. How does a family with a medical card contact a dentist? Is there a list there?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Irish Dental Association Strategic Workforce Plan: Irish Dental Association (5 Jul 2023)

Seán Crowe: The witnesses spoke about the impact the challenges have on people when accessing proper oral health. Is there prioritisation within the public health screening? Referring particularly to schools, is there a priority for DEIS schools in the roll-out of that screening or is it taken on the fact that there is a dentist in that particular area? It was alluded to earlier that some areas are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Irish Dental Association Strategic Workforce Plan: Irish Dental Association (5 Jul 2023)

Seán Crowe: I will go back to the members now. I think Senator Kyne was looking to come in.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Irish Dental Association Strategic Workforce Plan: Irish Dental Association (5 Jul 2023)

Seán Crowe: The other one and the most important is that meaningful negotiations be opened up. It seems bizarre that has not happened. We have been getting Dáil replies suggesting otherwise. We have not looked at the IDA’s relationship with the Dental Council. What does that entail?