Seán Kyne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for the response. I am heartened that she believes there is merit in the suggestion and I hope she will be able to bring it back to the Minister, Deputy Donnelly.

As the Minister of State said in her response, the public dental service provides a programme for second class, sixth class and, subject to capacity, fourth class. There is a capacity issue, and therefore, thinking of schoolchildren in Galway and every county, I am asking whether this short-term intervention using retired dentists would allow for an improvement in capacity and in the number of pupils being assessed in that critical period of fourth class, for example, to identify any problems that are developing in children's oral health and allow them to be assessed.

I welcome the investment by the Government and that the Minister, Deputy Harris, is looking at the number of places, but this will take time to get through the system. Therefore, I ask again that the Minster of State bring this back to the Minister in terms of a short-term intervention.