Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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604. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 760 of 1 March 2022, if he accepts that it is now impossible for medical card holders to find a dentist who will treat them in County Wexford; if his attention has been drawn to the case of a person (details supplied) who has contacted all eight dental practices in the county that accept medical card patients and has been informed that they are not accepting new patients; the steps that he intends to take to address this urgent matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58703/22]

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.

I have been concerned that medical card holders in some parts of the country have been having difficulty in accessing a local dentist, including in Co. Wexford. Therefore, following consultation with the Irish Dental Association, I introduced a package of measures from 1 May 2022 to expand the Scheme and increase the fees paid to contractors. This has led to an increase in the numbers of patients being seen and the numbers of treatments being provided under the DTSS in recent months.

The HSE is available to assist anyone who is struggling to access a dentist. In exceptional circumstances, the HSE directly assists patients to access emergency dental treatment by contacting private contractors or arranging treatment through HSE employed dentists.

I have awarded €5 million in Budget 2023 to support the HSE to continue to provide this emergency care service across the country next year, as well as to provide care to the targeted primary school class programme, and preparation is underway in the HSE for the use of this funding.

While this is a once-off measure, I am also committed to improving access to oral healthcare services in the longer term through implementation of the National Oral Health Policy, Smile Agus Sláinte. This €5m award is part of an unprecedented additional allocation of €15 million in Budget 2023 to enhance the provision of oral healthcare services next year and support substantial service reform, through policy implementation. This is additional to the €148 million that is already provided for oral healthcare each year across the DTSS, the HSE Public Dental Service and orthodontic services provided by the HSE.

On top of this €15 million allocation, resources will also be made available in 2023 for new clinical leadership posts and for other supporting staff to allow substantive reform of the provision of public oral healthcare services to all ages to commence, including through work on the development of a new medical card scheme. The implementation plan for Smile Agus Sláintewill prioritise the alleviation of access issues for oral healthcare.

I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly regarding the case of the person mentioned, as soon as possible.