Malcolm Noonan (Green Party)
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Fáilte to the students from Buncrana. They are very welcome to the Public Gallery. I hope they enjoy their day here in Leinster House.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. The second Commencement matter is from Senators Scahill and Boyle.

Manus Boyle (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the students from Buncrana in my home county. It is great to see some Donegal people in here. There do not be many of us in, as it is so far away.

I wish to discuss dental hygienists. There is a lack of college places. Trinity College Dublin and UCC provide courses, but they are limited for professionals who are in high demand. In Cork, there are eight opportunities for placements. In Trinity, I am told there are 12 opportunities for placements.

Dental nurses who approach me are frustrated. They cannot further their education because of the limited courses in Ireland. Some have applied three years in a row and have still not got anywhere with it. There is a massive demand in the service for dental hygienists, not only in County Donegal, but all across Ireland. We need to multiply the number of courses without delay. Where are the opportunities to get these courses enhanced and going? We have a great college in County Donegal - the ATU in Letterkenny - with a brilliant campus in Killybegs. Perhaps the ATU could come on board and try to get dental hygienist courses up and going in Donegal.Oral health is very important for everybody so I would like to see a demand created for these courses. I know from the feedback I have got in Donegal that there is demand for these courses but, sadly, people must travel either to England or somewhere else to get trained because they cannot get on the courses.

Gareth Scahill (Fine Gael)
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It is fitting the Minister of State is here because her constituency is located between Senator Boyle's and mine, between Donegal and Roscommon, so we know she will not let us down.

A couple of weeks ago I tabled a Commencement matter on the number of dentists accepting medical cards and the Minister's response was that we needed to look at having more public dentists on the scheme. When this issue we discussing today was raised with me and I realised that Senator Boyle had the same issue, we thought it was very important that we raised this in the context of education to see if it can be addressed. As Senator Boyle has mentioned, there are only two places delivering courses at the moment - Trinity College in Dublin and UCC in Cork - with a total of 20 places available each year. That number has not increased in more than two decades despite a growing population and oral health needs. Once qualified, dental hygienists must register with the Dental Council of Ireland, yet there are only 600 registered hygienists, and we do not even know how many are actively working. That is the reality. We face a dental workforce crisis, not just with dentists but also with hygienists. The Irish Dental Association has repeatedly sought for more support on this.

We are raising this issue with the Minister of State to see if we can collectively come up with a solution in order that we are not exporting our students to other jurisdictions to get qualified and then having to come up with elaborate schemes to attract them back to work here. As Senator Boyle has said, we know of students who have applied two or three times and have been rejected. I also know that more than 200 people applied for the eight places that are available in Trinity College Dublin, so there is significant demand. We already know, through our system, that there is significant demand. We believe dental hygienists will alleviate the pressure on dentists and open up more opportunities for them. We call on the Department to address this matter.

Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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I thank Senators Scahill and Boyle for raising this important matter here today concerning the availability of dental hygienist training places in Ireland.

I acknowledge what Senator Scahill said. I represent the constituency of Sligo-Leitrim, which is sandwiched between Roscommon, where Senator Scahill is from, and Donegal, where Senator Boyle is from. I also represent south Donegal, of course. Senator Scahill said I would not let them down, so no pressure.

The Government is firmly committed to ensuring our healthcare system is supported by a steady and sustainable pipeline of highly skilled graduates. My Department, in collaboration with the Department of Health, the Higher Education Authority and higher education institutes, play a central role in delivering the education and training infrastructure needed to meet the evolving needs of the healthcare workforce, including in critical areas such as oral healthcare. Ensuring adequate capacity to train future dental hygienists is part of our broader commitment to workforce planning that supports the health and well-being of the population. In the context of dental hygienist education and training capacity, I point out that dental hygienists are a vital part of Ireland's oral healthcare system. They play a key role in preventing and treating gum disease and promoting lifelong oral health.

Currently, as both Senators have alluded to, we have two higher education institutions - Trinity College Dublin and University College Cork - which offer programmes in dental hygiene. Between them, they produce approximately 25 graduates each year. This contrasts with about 100 dentistry graduates annually. My Department recognises that this represents a limited training pipeline at a time when the demand for oral healthcare, both clinical and preventative, is increasing nationally.While my Department does not set quotas for student places, we work closely with the Department of Health and the HEA to explore how capacity can be sustainably expanded in key health disciplines, including allied professions like dental hygiene.

It is important to note that in 2023, the HEA carried out a targeted capacity expansion exercise across priority healthcare areas. One key outcome was the establishment of new dentistry programmes, including a new bachelor of dental surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, commencing in 2025. This new programme will follow a community-based model of dental education and will provide at least 20 new dentistry places per annum for Irish or EEA students. That is significantly enhancing our national training capacity.

This expansion represents a landmark increase in student intake and clearly demonstrates my Department’s and this Government’s firm commitment to strengthening the oral healthcare workforce and supplying the graduates needed for a modern, accessible health system. I reaffirm my Department’s commitment to working with all relevant stakeholders to ensure that any future expansion of dental hygienist education is grounded in evidence, responds to national needs and is delivered in a sustainable manner.

Gareth Scahill (Fine Gael)
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While I welcome the fact there will be 20 additional dentist places available, I do not believe that will meet the demand that I raised a few weeks back. Dental hygienists say that Ireland is experiencing a workforce crisis in dentistry, both in the public and private sectors. Although a call from many dentists has been heard loud and clear in the media, it is not being heard elsewhere. There is a shortage of dental hygienists. At its annual conference this year, the Irish Dental Association was inundated with requests from dentists unable to find a dental hygienist due to the shortage. That is felt throughout Ireland and we need to address it. We potentially need to look at expanding the role of dental hygienists so they have direct access and can provide more services in order to alleviate the pressure on dentists, open up the whole sector and address an issue we have.

Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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I hear what the Senator is saying but it is my understanding that the Department of Health is currently conducting a scoping exercise and skills assessment across the oral healthcare sector, which specifically includes dental hygienists. This will form the foundation for future policy and programme development. As part of this broader review, the Dental Council has submitted revised scopes of practice that propose expanding the role of dental hygienists. If adopted, this would require corresponding updates to current education and training provision.

I assure both Senators that the Government is committed to responding proactively to manage future workforce requirements, including in respect of dental hygienists, dentists and workers required in the oral healthcare sector. I will speak to the senior Minister when I meet him tomorrow about the specific points the Senators raised today.