Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 82: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she will carry out an audit into the way that children are assessed and deemed eligible or otherwise by the Health Service Executive for orthodontic treatment; her plans to review the assessment process in order that people who are dissatisfied with the initial assessment could get a second opinion from another orthodontic consultant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27369/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Deputy's question regarding the way that children are assessed and deemed eligible for orthodontic treatment relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

The aim of my Department is to promote the development of the treatment capacity of orthodontics in a sustainable way over the longer term. Given the potential level of demand for orthodontic services, the provision of those services will continue to be based on prioritisation of cases based on treatment need — as happens under the existing guidelines. These guidelines were issued in 1985 and are intended to enable the Health Service Executive, to identify in a consistent way those in greatest need and to commence timely treatment for them. My Department has no plans at present to review these guidelines.