Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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1137. To ask the Minister for Health her views on reports in a newspaper (details supplied) on 26 January 2025, that a dentist who is currently under inquiry by the UK’s General Dental Council is also currently providing clinical leadership to dozens of dentists, unimpeded and without supervision in the State. [2578/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The Dentists Act 1985 establishes the Dental Council as the regulator of the dental profession in Ireland. Section 38 the 1985 Act sets out a series of grounds under which the Council or any person can apply to the Fitness to Practise Committee to establish an inquiry into the conduct of a registered dentist. While the dentist in question is currently under inquiry by the UK’s General Dental Council, no complaints have been received by the Dental Council of Ireland in relation to the dentist’s fitness to practice.

The Deputy will be aware that the Regulated Professions (Health and Social Care) (Amendment) Act 2020 introduces significant reforms to the regulatory processes under each of the five health regulatory Acts, including the Dentists Act. The 2020 Act amends the Dentists Act to require dentists to make statutory declarations in relation to any disciplinary or judicial proceeding in this State or in another jurisdiction which may directly or indirectly result in the dentist being prohibited or restricted from providing one or more than one kind of health or social care. It has also broadened the grounds for inquiry to include matters which might be declared by a dentist, or where a dentist fails to comply with the declarations requirements as set out in the Act. This important provision is intended to ensure that the Dental Council becomes aware of sanctions imposed in other jurisdictions that may give rise to patient safety concerns in Ireland, and to investigate accordingly.

More than half of the 2020 Act has been commenced to date and my Department is currently working toward broad commencement of the Act’s remaining provisions in 2025/26 in liaison with each of the regulators. Safe commencement is contingent on the regulators being operationally ready for the reforms being introduced. I am pleased to report that it is intended to commence the majority of sections amending the Dentists Act, including the statutory declarations provision, in quarter one 2025, with remaining provisions being commenced as soon as possible thereafter. Given the important patient safety reforms underpinning this legislation, I would like to assure the Deputy that this work is a priority for my Department.