Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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1717. To ask the Minister for Health if he will meet with an association (details supplied) to discuss updating the dental treatment service scheme and upcoming legislation affecting their sector; if so, when he expects to do so; if he will respond to correspondence from the association in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2333/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Chief Dental Officer and other officials in my Department met with the Clinical Dental Technicians Association of Ireland (CDTAI) in March 2022 to discuss a range of issues relating to current and future provision of oral healthcare services in Ireland.

The National Oral Health Policy provides the framework for comprehensive reform of oral healthcare services. Resources are being made available in 2023 for new clinical leadership and policy implementation leadership posts in the HSE to facilitate and drive substantive service reform through implementation of the Policy.

My Department is working closely with the HSE to ensure the establishment of focused implementation structures for the Policy to drive implementation. These implementation structures will provide a mechanism to incorporate stakeholder input from the oral healthcare profession.

The Policy also sets out that necessary legislative and regulatory issues will be addressed. Development of an updated regulatory policy for the oral healthcare profession and giving it effect through legislative change, to underpin the necessary service reforms and align with the regulation of other healthcare professions, is a priority for my Department. The Department will engage with the necessary stakeholders regarding this work.