Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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132. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons on the waiting list for orthodontic treatment by county; the waiting time by county including the current longest waiting time for a patient; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43724/13]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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The HSE provides orthodontic treatment to those who have been assessed and referred for treatment before their 16th birthday. An individual's access to orthodontic treatment is determined against a set of clinical guidelines called the Modified Index of Treatment Need. Patients with the greatest level of need, i.e. Grade 5 or Grade 4 are provided with treatment. At the time of assessment those with urgent clinical need are prioritised. It should be noted that the nature of orthodontic care means that immediate treatment is not always desirable. It is estimated that in up to 5% of cases it is necessary to wait for further growth to take place before treatment commences. Information on waiting times is collated by the HSE by region and for the intervals as shown below only. The most recent information relates to the second quarter of 2013.

The HSE has commissioned an independent review of orthodontic services. The outcome of this review, which is near completion, will give guidance as to what changes will be desirable to provide the best possible model of care delivery, given the current resources available and future demand for services.