Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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304. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the benefits that have been withdrawn under the treatment benefits package since 2010; the full-year cost in 2016 of restoring each of these benefits based on contracts agreed with dental and medical practitioners at the time they were withdrawn and based on a 5%, 10% and 15% increase on the rates agreed at the time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18492/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The dental and optical benefit schemes were restricted to a free annual dental exam and a free two yearly optical examination from January 2010.

The potential cost of restoring the scheme in 2016 to its 2009 format (assuming the same level of customer applications as in 2009), would be as set out in the following table, allowing for the potential % increase in fees as suggested by the Deputy (shown in €millions):

* (These figures represent payments for claims paid by the Department only, and do not include the annual reimbursements to the HSE in respect of dual-qualified PRSI/medical card customers, which added another €13M to the cost of these benefits in 2009).

While the increases suggested by the Deputy have been applied in the table of costings above, it should be noted that any increase in fees would be a matter for Government as part of an overall budget process.

These figures represent the potential cost of the schemes (based on 2009 application levels), including examinations, which have continued to be provided to customers and for which the fee payable has not increased since 2009.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.