James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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1105. To ask the Minister for Health the stage at which the dental Bill is at; the timeframe for the completion of this legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20612/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Work is continuing in relation to the development of new legislation to replace the Dentists Act 1985. Key policy issues for inclusion in the new legislation have been approved and a Regulatory Impact Analysis is currently underway. There has been ongoing engagement with stakeholders including the Dental Council. The drafting of the Scheme of Bill, which is the next step in the process to develop the new legislation, has commenced. It is not possible to provide a publication date at this early stage in the legislative process.

Department officials are currently committed to drafting a priority Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, the primary purpose of which is to amend all health professional regulatory Acts as a consequence of the transposition of the modernised European Union Professional Qualifications Directive (2013/55/EU) and to address a number of other issues. Work on the preparation of the Dental Bill continues to be progressed in line with competing legislative priorities.