Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 99: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she plans to make new policy proposals for dental services following her visit to the US; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9309/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The purpose of my recent official visit to the United States was to visit a number of health care facilities with a view to seeing, at first hand, how services are planned, organised and delivered. These included the Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, Arizona, the Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health, MD Anderson Cancer Centre, Houston, Texas and the Veterans Administration (V.A.) Medical Centre in Washington DC.

The facilities visited are internationally recognised centres of excellence with proven track records for innovation and results. These meetings will be of particular benefit to me and my officials in a number of policy areas including the preparation of the National Oral Health Policy, which I plan to publish this year.

In developing the National Oral Health Policy, it is intended to examine some of the following areas:

A revised regulatory regime for the dental sector in Ireland culminating in a new Dentists Act.

The integration of oral health in the wider health care delivery system to include enhanced synergies with health promotion, children's health, primary care partnerships, disability services, long stay care and services for older people.

Competition issues as raised by the Competition Authority in its report/s on the dental profession in Ireland.

Manpower planning, specialization and skills-mix including the recognition and future expansion of role of auxiliary dental professions and the identification of appropriate training needs.

Examining the possibility of stream-lining the existing State-funded dental schemes.

Service delivery issues such as orthodontic services, and special needs dentistry.

My discussions with the Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health will be of particular relevance in the context of manpower planning.