Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 473: To ask the Minister for Health the cost to the State of oral health care for each of the years 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and to date in 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29670/11]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Oral health services span Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Care Services including Acute Hospitals.

The Public Dental Service (PDS) provides emergency, routine and preventive oral health services to children under 16 and people of all ages with special needs. Oral health care is provided to medical card holders by dental practitioners contracted by the HSE under the Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS). Orthodontic services, also delivered by salaried dental staff of the HSE, are provided to eligible patients based on the level of clinical need. Oral surgery and maxillofacial surgery is delivered either by secondary or tertiary services.

The following information is available in relation to costs of oral health care:

The base budget for orthodontics is currently €16m approximately. This includes some oral surgery and restorative treatment costs.

The HSE is not in a position to provide the level of detail requested in respect of the cost of Public Dental Services in 2005-2007 or in respect of oral and maxillofacial surgery which in most cases forms part of the budget for the setting in which it is provided and cannot be disaggregated.

The HSE has provided revenue funding of between €6m and €7.5m approximately to the Dublin Dental School and Hospital (DDSH) for the years in question in respect of a Service Level Agreement. The DDSH has other sources of funding including payment from the HSE for individual items of treatment. The HSE provides approximately €2m to Cork University Dental School and Hospital each year also.

The HSE is currently implementing the recommendations of the Strategic Review of the Management and Delivery of Dental Services which includes the development of a National Oral Health Office. It is intended that a new structure for the collation of financial information will be implemented in 2012.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 474: To ask the Minister for Health if a cost-benefit analysis comparing the cost of preventative dental health care measures compared to the provision of emergency dental care was carried out in advance of budget 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29671/11]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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A cost benefit analysis comparing the cost of preventative dental health care and emergency dental care was not carried out in advance of budget 2010.

Unfortunately it was deemed necessary to reduce the services available under the Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) at that time due to the difficult position of the public finances.