Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Tim O'Malley. The matter concerns the need for the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, to intervene with the western health executive to appoint a school dentist in Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe, where there are 24 national schools in the area without a dental service for the past three months. That is a reasonable request.

A quick look at the history of the dental service in the schools in east Galway will clarify the urgent need and the poor service provided to the schoolgoing children in the area. On 20 January 2006 the dentist in that area resigned, having been appointed on 28 April 2005. By coincidence I raised on the Adjournment that he be appointed at that time. He was appointed to provide a two-day per week service to the 24 national schools. Approximately 1,500 students in the catchment area were served by that dentist. Since 20 January 2006 an emergency service operates three days per month. It responds only in the case of an emergency, that is, when somebody is in exceptional pain.

In the last days of December 2005 the dental practitioner for County Galway also resigned. Neither of those posts have been advertised in the meantime. It is time the Minister of State and the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children intervened in order that children in the area be provided with a proper dental service. It is unbelievable that such primary care is not provided at an early stage for children. There have been many campaigns and much money has been spent on promoting dental care, particularly among the young. Given the response of the Health Service Executive it is appropriate that the Minister of State and the Tánaiste intervene to ensure a proper service is provided for children in the 24 national schools in east Galway, from Ballinasloe to Portumna.

Given that the Health Service Executive cannot hold on to these appointments something must be wrong. In the past we were told we could not get orthodontists in the west. The position now is that we cannot retain dental practitioners. Hence the region has had a stop-go service for the past six years. It has had a dental service for a short period which, until recently, only operated two days per week. That is not good enough. The backlog means that many children have serious dental problems and nothing is being done for them. I look forward to a positive response.

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
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The Health Act 2004 provided for the Health Service Executive, which was established on 1 January 2005. Under the Act, the executive has the responsibility to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. This includes the delivery of school dental services. Nonetheless, I am happy to set out the position as regards the development of policy in this area, as well as to convey the information provided by the Health Service Executive on the specific question raised by the Senator.

At present children in specific classes in national school, usually second, fourth and sixth class, are targeted for preventive measures under the school-based approach. The children in these classes are screened and referred for treatment as necessary. The programme has been specifically designed to ensure that children are dentally fit before they leave national school. The screening provided in second, fourth and sixth classes ensures that follow up appointments for examination, treatment or orthodontic review are made, as necessary, with the dental surgeon in the clinic designated for the particular school.

The Health (Amendment) Act 1994 amended the Health Act 1970. The regulations made under this Act — the Health (Dental Services for Children) Regulations 2000 — extended eligibility for free primary dental care to all children under 16 years of age, who have attended national school. Additional funding of over €5 million has been provided to the health service for this extension of eligibility.

The Department of Health and Children has been informed by the Health Service Executive that the vacancy arose at the dental clinic at Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe, when the dentist working there moved away. Furthermore, the Department has been informed that the dental department of the Health Service Executive, western area, has a policy to recruit dentists wherever and whenever a vacancy arises. At present the Health Service Executive, western area, is pursuing a recruitment campaign in respect of vacant dental posts, including the post in Ballinasloe. In the meantime there is provision in the western area of the Health Service Executive for emergency treatment for all children under 16 years of age to be available where required.

There are ten dental teams delivering the school screening services in the Galway area of the Health Service Executive and it is inevitable that vacancies will arise from time to time. I am satisfied, based on the information provided by the Health Service Executive, that where such vacancies arise the process of recruitment is initiated in a timely manner.

Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)
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Will the posts be advertised?

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
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I am told by the HSE that it is in the process of recruitment and it is possible that it is drawing up the recruitment advertisements. I do not know whether the advertisements have been placed but that is my understanding of the situation.

Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)
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So an appointment will be made.

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
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Yes.

Frank Feighan (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I raise the very serious issue of the provision of a new health centre in Keadue, Boyle, County Roscommon. I speak on behalf of people in the area who want to establish a new health centre in Keadue. The premises from which the health centre currently operates is in a very poor state of repair and is inadequate to provide the full service to the outpatient population base. The area has grown extensively in recent years and a health centre that can deliver the various practices in an area is essential.

The centre urgently needs to employ a practice nurse. It is trying to run specialist asthma and diabetic clinics from a room measuring 5 ft. by 11 ft. It is the only spare room the centre has in the premises and at peak times there is a need to have an extra room. Unfortunately, because there is no extra room, the public health nurse is unable to attend and, in addition, the psychiatric service was withdrawn. The public health nurse cannot hold development clinics for children. We would very much appreciate funding or even a timeframe for the allocation of funding to ensure this problem will be rectified and a new health centre provided in Keadue, Boyle, County Roscommon.

Keadue is equidistant from Carrick-on-Shannon, Drumshanbo and Boyle. It is in the parish of Kilronan, which includes Arigna and Ballyfarnon. It is a growing area and I hope the Minister has a positive reply to ensure the issue of this health centre would be dealt with.

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
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I thank Senator Feighan for raising this matter and I am happy to have the opportunity to respond.

The question of the provision of health centres is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. The role of the Department of Health and Children in regard to capital is to monitor and evaluate the executive's capital programme overall and to ensure that the programme, under the multi-annual capital investment framework, is in line with service priorities and policy objectives.

The approval of the capital programme of the executive is the responsibility of the Tánaiste. The HSE has informed the Department that a priority list for health centre developments in County Roscommon has been drawn up and that, following consideration of the populations to be served and the staff to be accommodated in each location, Keadue has been placed fourth on that list.

The HSE is currently examining all such proposals from around the country in the context of available capital funding for 2006 and future years. It is therefore a matter for the executive to progress this particular proposal in the context of its overall capital programme.

The national strategy, Primary Care: A New Direction, is the roadmap for the future development of primary care services in Ireland, both as the appropriate service for the delivery of the majority of people's health and social care needs and to complement the services provided by acute hospitals. Up to 95% of people's health care and social services needs can be met in a primary care setting.

At the heart of the strategy is the aim of developing services in the community to give people direct access to integrated multidisciplinary teams of general practitioners, nurses, therapists, health care assistants, home helps and others. The strategy is also about the reorientation of existing resources to develop new ways for clinicians and other professionals to work together to provide more accessible primary care services to people in their own communities.

In order to support the further development of primary care services in 2006, additional revenue funding of €16 million has been provided. Of this, €10 million has been earmarked for the development of primary care teams. The objective is to establish between 75 and 100 primary care teams to include 300 additional frontline posts. The HSE has indicated that funding will be targeted to provide the potential for each local health office to establish and enhance up to three primary care teams.

I understand each local health office will identify local opportunities in partnership with general practitioners and other stakeholders. The focus will be on creating a critical mass of primary care professionals — GPs and their support staff, nursing and other professional staff — who will work within a primary care team model in line with the national strategy. This approach is a very effective way of harnessing the significant existing capacity in our community services, and supplementing this important resource with new additional staff. I am sure the Senator will welcome this investment.