Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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665. To ask the Minister for Health the estimated cost of providing free dental care for all children and young persons under 18 years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4745/20]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The National Oral Health Policy, Smile agus Sláinte, was published in April 2019. Research carried out by the ESRI, as part of the ESRI Research Programme in Healthcare Reform, examined the potential cost implications of proposed changes to oral healthcare provision which informed the new Policy.

The indicative estimate of the full year cost of providing free dental care, by way of oral healthcare packages as outlined in the Policy, to children aged under 16 is approximately €34 million of which €10-€12 million pertains to children aged under 6. This indicative estimate is based on current fees payable by the HSE under the Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) and an estimated take-up rate based on previous research.

Medical card holders aged over 16 years of age currently receive dental services under the DTSS. The indicative cost for provision of the new preventive oral healthcare packages for medical card holders aged over 16 years ranges from €23-48 million. The preventive packages will be in addition to routine and complex care which will continue to be available under the DTSS.

No separate analysis was carried out on the cost of providing dental care to 16- and 17-year olds.