Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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361. To ask the Minister for Health the current status of discussions and the progress made between his Department and an association (details supplied) in relation to the dental treatment services scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49111/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) provides dental care free of charge to medical card holders aged 16 and over. Both I and the Government have been concerned that medical card patients in some parts of the country have been experiencing problems in accessing dental services.

The Department consulted with the Irish Dental Association earlier this year regarding a package of fee increases that came into effect on 1^stMay 2022, as part of a substantial €26 million investment over and above what was spent on the Scheme in 2021, to encourage more and more dentists to provide care to medical card patients.

The numbers of patients being seen and the numbers of treatments being provided under the DTSS have started to increase in recent months. Patients are also accessing the preventative scale and polish which has been reintroduced from 1^stMay, which is a positive development.

These are interim measures designed to address immediate concerns with the Scheme pending a more substantive reform of dental services. It is my intention that this is addressed in the context of the implementation of the National Oral Health Policy, which sets out a body of substantial services reform. The Chief Dental Officer met with the Irish Dental Association on 29^thJuly to discuss implementation of the Policy. Work is now underway to design a governance framework to oversee and facilitate root and branch service reform.