Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

My Commencement matter this morning relates to a crucial issue that affects many parents throughout the country who have kids with additional needs. The simple act of a routine dental appointment is an overwhelming challenge and experience for these children, particularly those on the autism spectrum. The sensory overload from the lights and sounds etc. can induce stress in those children and is a daunting task for both the parents and the child. I recently met with a parent of a nine-year-old child who required a dental visit and for whom the only option was through the school's dental system. Within that system there are no special needs dentists, they are currently in the public system. The family had very limited options and had to go privately to have treatment carried out, extractions and crowns, at a cost of over €3,000. The reality as we well know and as we have highlighted in various reports, and in the joint committee report on autism, is that there are already significant costs there for the families of children with various disabilities, particularly those with autism, who are paying for services not available on the public system. This is on top of the necessity of taking leave. There is now another cost for families because we do not have specialised trained dentists within the HSE system. I am asking that this be rectified and we actively recruit dentists within the HSE who have this specialised training so that families of kids with autism spectrum disorder can get treatment within the public system.

I would ask that until such a time as this will be put in place, the National Treatment Purchase Fund be utilised. I tabled a Commencement matter on this previously. It is recommended in the joint committee report that this fund be put in place and used to be able to adequately compensate parents who have to pay for services privately because we do not have the people needed within the various CDNT systems throughout the country. Until such a time as we have the required number of professionals with the qualifications necessary to be able to do this, we must allow the National Treatment Purchase Fund to compensate parents who have to organise this specialist dental care privately. I do not think that is a big ask; we are not providing the services for these children that we provide for every other child through the public system. It is a fair ask that we at least compensate the families affected until such time as we have the professionals in place and, as I have said, it is a recommendation in the joint committee report and something we dealt with extensively in our committee meetings. I would like to see that put in place.