James Breen (Clare, Independent)
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Question 243: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her views on the disturbing allegation that her Department reversed a successful policy in favour of undermining established services (details supplied); if the investigation into orthodontic services by the sub-committee of the Joint Committee on Health and Children will deal with all aspects of the problem including bullying. [12266/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Dentists Act 1985 provides for the establishment of the Dental Council which provides for the registration and control of persons engaged in the practice of dentistry. Under the Act, the Dental Council also provides for other matters relating to the practice of dentistry including the adequacy and suitability of postgraduate education and training. Ultimately, it is the Dental Council that is the statutory body to accredit specialist training programmes. The statutory independence of the Dental Council means that the Department of Health and Children does not have a role in the recognition of specialist training programmes.

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 responsibility for orthodontic services. The chief officers of the HSE have informed my Department that at the end of the December 2004 quarter, 23,572 patients were undergoing orthodontic treatment in the public orthodontic service. This represents a 66% increase on the numbers in treatment in May 1999. The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children is reviewing this issue and its report is awaited. My Department emphatically refutes the allegations of bullying.