Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will read the Minister's closing statement and then add my own remarks. I have listened to colleagues across the Chamber and have taken on board the points they have made. I can assure them that ensuring the continued protection of the public and high oral healthcare standards is a priority for the Minister for Health. The Minister is committed to reviewing and updating the Dentists Act 1985. As part of implementation of the national oral health policy additional resources have been allocated within the Department of Health to work on further strengthening the regulation of dentists in Ireland. The Department is currently undertaking preparatory scoping and planning work to support the review of this legislation and is also considering the different areas of reform referenced by the Dental Council in its 2021 submission to the Department. The process of developing legislation involves consultation with the public and other stakeholders. Officials from the Department have met with officials from the Dental Council several times in recent weeks to discuss a range of issues, including the Dental Council’s proposals for legislative reform. Officials will continue to consult with the Dental Council as an important stakeholder as this work progresses. The Department welcomes positive engagement from all stakeholders, including the public and wider dental profession, in this regard. The Minister is confident that, informed by this engagement, we will be able to deliver a robust, evidence-based modern regulatory framework which supports the national oral health policy and the associated reforms targeted for oral healthcare. Any legislative change will obviously be a matter for consideration and decision by the Oireachtas in due course.

In my view, the Dental Council has a significant role to play here because it has its own insurance and I would assume that insurance would protect the council's membership. When one of its members failed to deliver services to the public for which he or she had been already paid, the Dental Council should have used its insurance to reimburse affected families.