Eileen Lynch (Fine Gael)

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Gabhaim buíochas leis as a bheith sa Teach linn inniu.

I rise to support this important motion which calls attention to the future of oral healthcare in Ireland and the steps we must take to ensure that access is fair, services are reliable and regulation is fit for purpose. As has already been mentioned by my colleagues, the Government published Smile agus Sláinte in 2019, our first ever national oral health policy. This was a landmark moment in public dental care. As has been noted, however, as we move through 2025, progress has been incredibly slow and uneven and has practically stalled in many regions.

In terms of access, under the dental treatment services scheme, adult medical card holders are supposed to receive routine care. In reality, a growing number of dentists are withdrawing from the scheme, citing underfunding, bureaucracy and unsustainable working conditions, points that have been strongly articulated by the Irish Dental Association. It has warned that without urgent reform, access will continue to erode, particularly for vulnerable groups. In rural areas such as west and north Cork, Kerry and parts of Waterford, medical card patients face a waiting time of more than 18 months. These are communities where private alternatives are few and far between. This creates not just healthcare inequality, but a regional imbalance that undermines the Government's commitment to regional equality in access to primary care services. Furthermore, while tax relief and the treatment benefit scheme help offset some costs for working adults, these supports do not reach those who need it the most, namely the unemployed, older people and families with children that are in lower income brackets.

On the matter of children's dental services, Smile agus Sláinte promises three school dental appointments for children before the age of 12. As has been mentioned, implementation has been wildly inconsistent. In some counties, particularly in the south, HSE dental teams are so under-resourced that many children get one check-up, if any. While I welcome the announcement of the new bachelor of dental surgery course at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland that is due to commence this year, we need to go further. The Irish Dental Association and public health experts have warned that our dental workforce is ageing, and many practices are closing or scaling back.

The programme for Government contains a commitment in respect of increasing the number of health and social care training places. That must include expanding dental education at Trinity College and UCC. These universities already have the infrastructure and are well placed to serve the east and the south, including under-served regions. UCC in particular can anchor recruitment for Munster and surrounding counties. It is incredibly disappointing that funding has been withdrawn from the planned new dental school in UCC. That the project has essentially been shelved. This decision needs to be reconsidered and reversed. A total of €55 million is needed to deliver the project, which was originally planned to be delivered and completed in 2023. Quite simply, the solution is that more college places need to be made available. Every year, there is huge interest among students in studying dentistry. We need to make more places available to them. However, we must also address the short-term shortages.

The motion suggests engaging recently retired dentists to help with school screenings. This is a practical interim solution that would make a real difference in areas where school dental checks are not happening. The number of dentists employed to deliver school dental screenings has decreased by 30 since 2012. There has also been a massive reduction in the number of those receiving the service in recent years. While 104,000 students were seen in 2023, this was a drop of 31,000 on the figure for 2017. That is a massive drop in the short space of six years.

The closure of dental and orthodontic practices has left many patients not only in pain and lacking services but also out of pocket. Families have spent thousands on orthodontic treatment plans, only for clinics to subsequently shut down without warning. In these cases, patients can be left financially stranded. That is not acceptable. In its 2021 submission, the Dental Council called for stronger legislative tools to manage these events. This motion echoes that call on the Government to work with regulators and the Department of Finance to protect consumers and establish fair resolution mechanisms. In addition, I want to highlight a silent and often forgotten group, namely nursing home residents and those with mobility challenges. Oral health is often the first casualty of reduced mobility, leading to pain, poor nutrition and an overall worsening of general health. Action to address the call to introduce mobile dentistry units is long overdue. That call deserves cross-party support.

To echo my colleagues' comments, we need to modernise our dental legislation. The Dentists Act is now 40 years old. It is outdated, vague on practice closures and silent on technological change. The Dental Council has repeatedly sought its reform. We need to take action now. This motion is not just about teeth; it is about access, equity, regulation and common decency in how we care for our people. We cannot forget parts of the country. The next generation cannot be left without care. Our dental professionals deserve policies that match their commitment to public health. We need to implement Smile agus Sláinte in full and update our laws to protect consumers and build a fair, modern, regional and reliable dental system for all.