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. In May 2022, the Scheme was extended to include Scale and Polish for all medical card patients along with an expansion of the oral examination to include provision of preventative advice, using €10 million awarded in Budget 2022. In addition, the fees paid to contractors were increased by 40-60% across most treatment items. Both the numbers of patients and treatments have been increasing since the measures were introduced in May 2022.

The Government recognises that substantive reform of the DTSS is required, as set out in the National Oral Health Policy, Smile agus Sláinte. My Department is working closely with the HSE to ensure the establishment of focused structures to drive implementation of the Policy. These implementation structures will include new clinical leadership and reform leadership posts in the HSE for which resources will be provided. In that context, the design and establishment of the necessary leadership and implementation structures is a key objective in the HSE’s National Service Plan for 2023.

In addition, arrangements for an implementation oversight group are currently being finalised. This group will be accountable to the Minister for Health and will facilitate central oversight of the policy implementation work of all relevant actors. The group will engage with stakeholders, including the dental profession, in line with their respective roles and responsibilities.