Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

The dental profession has sought the extension of the relief to routine dental treatment, basing this on a comparison with relief available for routine doctors visits. Routine dental treatment has never qualified for tax relief and dentists are not in competition with doctors. In any event, the cost of such a concession is estimated to be very high and, given the current fiscal situation, such a concession is out of the question.