Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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211. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of restoring the six-monthly scale and polish entitlement under the dental treatment benefit scheme. [23766/15]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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212. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of restoring the extended gum cleaning entitlement under the dental treatment benefit scheme. [23767/15]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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213. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of restoring cover for fillings under the dental treatment benefit scheme. [23768/15]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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214. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the expenditure on the six-monthly scale and polish entitlement under the dental treatment benefit scheme in 2009. [23769/15]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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215. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the expenditure on the extended gum cleaning entitlement under the dental treatment benefit scheme in 2009. [23770/15]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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216. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the expenditure on fillings under the dental treatment benefit scheme in 2009. [23771/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 211 to 216, inclusive, together.

The cost of providing for a restoration of the free six-monthly scale and polish treatment and contribution payments towards extended gum treatment and fillings for qualified customers under the dental benefit scheme would depend on the fees to be agreed with dental contractors for such treatments and on the numbers opting to avail of the treatments.

Approximately 2 million people are currently eligible for Dental Benefit.

In 2009, the last full year that the treatments were available under the dental benefit scheme, a total of 528,000 claims were made for the standard scale and polish treatment at a cost of €16.77m. A further 15,000 claims for a €30 contribution towards protracted gum treatment at a cost of €0.46m together with 598,000 contribution payments towards dental fillings at a cost of €20.7m were made under the scheme.