Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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463. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding dental benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38318/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Budget 2017 announced a number of changes to treatment benefit, which encompasses the dental, optical and medical appliance schemes. This included extending the scheme from March 2017 to self-employed PRSI contributors and their dependent spouses for the first time and reinstating treatments from October 2017 that had not been available since 2009.

Among the treatments re-introduced from October 2017 was the dispensing of spectacles and contact lenses under the optical benefit scheme and the re-introduction of cleanings under the dental benefit scheme.

Under the dental scheme, qualified PRSI contributors and their dependent spouses can, in addition to a free annual oral examination, avail of either an annual scale and polish treatment or a more extensive periodontal treatment. The Department pays 42 euro towards either of these treatments, with the customer paying the balance between the departments contribution and the normal private fee charged directly to the dentist. For the scale and polish treatment this customer contribution is capped at a maximum of 15 euro.

I hope this clarifies matters for the Deputy.