Paudie Coffey (Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister of State for his response. I note no final decision has been taken, which presents a window of opportunity. We must acknowledge the excellent preventative work carried out by dentists on the teeth of medical card holders and I have outlined the benefits of that. The Minister of State said the HSE is examining the issue. I ask him to urge the executive and the Department to negotiate with representatives of patients and dental associations. If cuts are to be made, we should come up with new initiatives to prevent tooth decay at an early age through schools and so on. Will he ask the Minister for Health and Children to ring-fence as much funding as possible to ensure prevention rather than extractions? At the end of the day, if health service costs increase as a consequence of tooth decay, this proposal would be a retrograde step. Will the Minister of State convey that message to the Minister for Health and Children in the interests of medical card holders and in the interest of preventing tooth decay?