Written answers
Tuesday, 12 December 2023
Department of Health
Dental Services
Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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761. To ask the Minister for Health if he will outline the funding made available in 2021, 2022 and 2023 to the HSE orthodontic treatment waiting list initiative through the National Oral Health Office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54551/23]
Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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762. To ask the Minister for Health the total funding being made available in 2024 for the HSE orthodontic treatment waiting list initiative through the National Oral Health Office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54552/23]
Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 761 and 762 together.
Reducing waiting times for orthodontic treatment is a priority for the Government and there has been sustained additional investment in recent years.
The table below sets out the additional funding that has been made available to the HSE for the years in question, which the HSE has committed to facilitate the transfer of patients from the HSE's orthodontic treatment waiting list to a private provider. Patients targeted are those who have been waiting the longest and whose clinical needs are suitable to be addressed in a community setting:
| YEAR | FUNDING COMMITTED | NUMBER OF PATIENTS TRANSFERRED TO PRIVATE SERVICE PROVIDERS |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | €2,036,420 | 786 |
| 2022 | €4,166,080 | 1371 |
| 2023 (to date) - Waiting List Action Plan | €5,459,788 committed for transferred patients (€6m made available for full year) | 1612 |
| 2023 (to date) - Budget 2023* | €1,618,000 committed for transferred patients (€2.65m made available for full year) | 434 |
*In addition, €1.35m was made available for the first time via Budget 2023 for patients who require complex jaw (orthognathic) surgery, which requires a lengthy hospital stay, as part of their orthodontic treatment. This initiative commenced in September and patients are now received their surgeries.
This sustained Government investment has significantly reduced orthodontic treatment waiting lists, with a 47% reduction in the number of patients waiting achieved between end-Q1 2019 and end-Q2 2023.
For 2024, €3.35m has been made available on a non-recurring basis to continue both the community-based and the orthognathic surgery initiatives.
Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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763. To ask the Minister for Health how many 5a waiting list patients were seen in the CHO8 area under the HSE orthodontic treatment waiting list initiative in 2021, 2022 and 2023; how much was spent on this category for the same years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54553/23]
Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
As the Deputy may be aware, management and administrative grade staff in the Fórsa union in the HSE commenced industrial action on Friday 6th October. As a consequence of this industrial action, members in these grades are not engaging with political forums or processes. As a result, the question asked by the Deputy may be delayed in receiving a response directly from the HSE.
Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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764. To ask the Minister for Health how many grade 4 waiting list patients were seen in the CHO8 area under the HSE orthodontic treatment waiting list initiative in 2021, 2022 and 2023; how much was spent on this category for the same years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54554/23]
Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
As the Deputy may be aware, management and administrative grade staff in the Fórsa union in the HSE commenced industrial action on Friday 6th October. As a consequence of this industrial action, members in these grades are not engaging with political forums or processes. As a result, the question asked by the Deputy may be delayed in receiving a response directly from the HSE.
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