Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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390. To ask the Minister for Health the status of the national oral health policy; the plans for its implementation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26191/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Smile agus Sláinte, the National Oral Health Policy was published in April 2019 and is Government policy. It provides a framework to transform oral health services and will facilitate better oral healthcare for everyone.

Forty-one actions were identified within the Policy, which will be delivered over the next six to seven years. Nine priorities were identified for the first three years following publication of the Policy. Despite the current public health emergency, work to prepare for implementation is being undertaken in my Department and progress is being made on the Priority Actions identified in the Policy in the areas within the Department's remit including liaising with other agencies such as the Dental Council.

I look forward to progress being made by the HSE on the priority actions of the National Oral Health Policy for which it has responsibility but have been delayed due to the current Covid-19 pandemic. 

Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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391. To ask the Minister for Health the number of dentists and orthodontists, respectively, who are registered and operating in the north County Kildare area; the number operating in each of the years 2017 to 2020, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26192/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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“As this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.

Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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392. To ask the Minister for Health the number of dentists and orthodontists, respectively, who are registered for public treatment generally in each of the years 2017 to 2020, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26193/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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“As this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.

Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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393. To ask the Minister for Health the number of registered complaints and or litigations against dentists made by medical card holders and by non-medical card holders, respectively in each of the years 2017 to 2020, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26194/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The information sought by the Deputy is not held by my Department. The Dental Council, established under the Dentists Act 1985 is the regulatory body for the dental profession. The Dental Council deals with complaints concerning breaches of its Codes of Practice. The Dental Council publishes the results of Fitness to Practise Inquiries where allegations of professional misconduct against a dentist have been proven together with the sanctions imposed.

With regard to any complaints made to the HSE by medical card holders, this is an operational issue and therefore a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.

Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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394. To ask the Minister for Health if it is HSE and-or his Department's policy to approve or recommend silver filling over white composite fillings for medical card patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26195/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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It is the Department's policy to phase out the use of dental amalgam, the material used for "silver fillings"  by 2030. In line with EU Mercury Regulation (EU) 2017/852 and to ensure compliance with the Minamata Convention on Mercury my Department has set out its approach in the "National Plan for Phase-down to Phase-out of amalgam towards 2030” published in 2019. This is also an action and a key priority within the National Oral Health Policy, "Smile agus Sláinte”.

Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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395. To ask the Minister for Health the amount paid to dentists on the medical card system in each of the years 2017 to 2020, the number of patients treated in the system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26196/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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“As this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.

Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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396. To ask the Minister for Health the cost to the State of PPE for dentists since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26197/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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“As this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.

Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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397. To ask the Minister for Health the number of children admitted to hospital for tooth extraction nationwide and in north County Kildare in each of the years 2017 to 2020, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26198/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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“As this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.

Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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398. To ask the Minister for Health the number of medical card patients and non-medical card patients, respectively that availed of tooth extractions in each of the years 2017 to 2020, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26199/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.

Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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399. To ask the Minister for Health the number of patients availing of non-extraction dental care in the medical card, nationwide and in north County Kildare, in each of the years 2017 to 2020, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26200/21]