Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Senator for raising this really important question. He raises a much broader issue in terms of the number of dentists we have working in Ireland. Unfortunately, I have been at the end of those calls to the constituency office too. There are so many parents out there super keen to get their kids looked at by the primary care services dentist and we do not have the numbers we need at the moment. I will give the Senator the answer from the Department so he is fully informed. I hope it can be shared with him in full as well.

The Dentists Act 1985 established the Dental Council as the regulatory body for the dental profession in Ireland. As such, issues concerning the registration of dentists are a matter for the Dental Council to consider. For all applicants for full registration, bar those granted international protection, the key criteria in determining their registration pathway is the country where the applicant undertook their dental education. There are a number of different registration pathways including those for Irish graduates and graduates from countries with which we have reciprocal agreements, graduates from the EEA who are entitled to automatic recognition or assessment under the professional qualifications directive, graduates from the UK and of course graduates from non-EEA countries.

In addition to this, the Dental Council introduced a registration pathway for refugees in response to the EU Commission’s request to assess the qualifications from refugees from the war in Ukraine. This pathway includes a mentorship programme whereby refugee dentists can practice under the mentorship of an established registered dentist. To avail of this registration pathway, you must be a qualified dentist with current temporary protection or refugee status in Ireland. The Dental Council has opened this process to any refugee granted international protection in Ireland. For applicants who qualified outside of the EEA and do not have refugee status or temporary protection in Ireland the appropriate pathway to registration is the Dental Council examination. This is a two-part exam that takes place annually. Part 1 of the exam typically take place in March or April each year and part 2 typically takes place in June or July. The specific dates of part 1 and part 2 of the examination will be confirmed as soon as possible with candidates who have been awarded a place. For the 2026 sitting of the Dental Council exam, applications can be received at any time during the week of 12 to 16 January 2026.

The Dental Council is not currently planning to introduce an additional registration pathway or to change the existing pathways for non-EEA qualification holders. It is important to note the Dental Council examination is an assessment of suitability for registration to practice dentistry in Ireland where applicants have already undertaken a dental qualification in a non-EEA country and it is not an examination at the end of a course of study. It is a broad-spectrum assessment of a candidate’s competence at a point in time to safely practice dentistry in Ireland. The standard of the examination is designed to maintain the integrity of the register of dentists in the best interests of patients. The involvement of representatives from each of the dental schools in the design, delivery and management of the examination maintains the direct linkage between the standards underpinning the examination and the standards expected of dental graduates in Ireland.