Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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534. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will reinstate preventive and restorative care under the dental treatment benefit scheme for PRSI payers and introduce a new voucher system for eligible patients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37767/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The dental benefit scheme is paid from the Social Insurance Fund. The fund has been under substantial pressure for the last few years due to the current economic circumstances and has required substantial subvention from the exchequer. As part of the cost-saving measures intended to ease this pressure, the range of treatments available under the treatment benefit scheme was reduced in Budget 2010.

As the social insurance fund continues to operate a deficit, there are no plans to introduce a new scheme for PRSI payers. Any changes to the treatment benefit scheme in future must reflect the economic realities of available funding and competing priorities.