Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for her comprehensive answer, albeit that she did not have the full detail until she came here today. It is correct that the service was allocated €315,000. In light of the fact that Cork University Dental School and Hospital has withdrawn from that service, the only centre in the country now is the Dublin Dental University Hospital. It is looking for €815,000.

I listened to the Minister of State speak about her own experience. I am conscious of the beautiful young people going into the dental hospital having been diagnosed and the radical surgery they go through. We have some marvellous maxillofacial and dental surgeons in this country who do a tremendous job of reconstruction and restore these people to the beautiful people they were before the radical surgery. I urge the Minister of State to do anything she can to give Dr. Michael O'Sullivan down in the dental hospital reassurance that the additional €500,000 will be made available.

It is shocking to think that there is an increase of up to 350 patients per year and that a significant number of these are a direct result of HPV. I hope that if we send any message out today, apart from the need for funding, that it will be that people should take up the HPV vaccine and try and protect themselves as much as possible. I thank the Minister of State. I would appreciate it if she could come back to me fairly soon on it.