Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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1360. To ask the Minister for Health the status of negotiations with the Irish Dental Association regarding the dental services treatment scheme; when a new contract will be agreed; and if she is aware of the impact the delay in concluding the negotiations is having on patients in areas such as Dungarvan where it is exceptionally difficult for medical card holders to access dental care including emergency care. [3535/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) provides oral healthcare, free of charge, to medical card holders aged 16 and over. On foot of a meeting between the Department and the Irish Dental Association (IDA) in November 2020, officials in my Department engaged with the IDA to discuss and agree a package of measures introduced from 1 May 2022, to expand the Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) for adult medical card holders and increase the fees paid to contractors for most treatment items by 40-60%. These measures have improved access to care: payments for contractor claims in 2024 show 227,691 additional treatments were provided nationally under the DTSS, with over 44,208 extra patients treated when compared with 2022.

However, I am aware that there are some towns with no or limited DTSS dentists that have sufficient capacity to accept new patients. In these areas, local HSE services can assist patients to access a dentist. In exceptional circumstances, where emergency treatment is required, the HSE can directly contact private contractors or arrange treatment to be provided by HSE-employed dentists.

In the longer term, the Government is committed to reforming dental services, including the DTSS, through the implementation of the National Oral Health Policy (NOHP), Smile Agus Sláinte and has included implementation of the Policy in the Programme for Government. The implementation plan for the first phase of policy implementation, to end-2027, is currently being finalised by my Department and the HSE, and includes reform of services for medical card holders as one of several priority actions. Targeted consultation was held with stakeholders, including the IDA, in Q3 2024. As part of ongoing engagement with the IDA, officials from my Department also met with IDA representatives in January 2024 to discuss policy implementation and in April 2024 to facilitate the IDA to present its position paper.

Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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1361. To ask the Minister for Health the provision she has made to ensure medical card holders can access timely dental care, including emergency care, in areas such as Dungarvan where there is extremely limited access to care under the dental services treatment scheme. [3536/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) provides oral healthcare, free of charge, to medical card holders aged 16 and over. Services available annually and on demand include an examination including preventative elements, two fillings, extractions, and a scale and polish. More complex care, such as dentures, additional fillings and a broader range of treatments for patients with additional needs and high-risk patients, are available subject to the approval of the local HSE Principal Dental Surgeon.

A package of measures was introduced in 2022 to expand the care available under the Scheme and significantly increase the fees paid to contractors. These measures have improved access to care: payments for contractor claims in 2024 show 227,691 additional treatments were provided nationally under the DTSS, with over 44,208 extra patients treated when compared with 2022.

However, I am aware that there are some towns with no or limited DTSS dentists that have sufficient capacity to accept new patients. In these areas, local HSE services can assist patients to access a dentist. In exceptional circumstances, where emergency treatment is required, the HSE can directly contact private contractors or arrange treatment to be provided by HSE-employed dentists.

In the longer term, the Government is committed to reforming oral healthcare services, including the DTSS, through the implementation of the National Oral Health Policy (NOHP), Smile Agus Sláinte. The new Programme for Government contains commitments to implement the National Oral Health Policy and to reform oral healthcare services for medical card holders.

The implementation plan for the first phase of policy implementation, to end-2027, is currently being finalised by my Department and the HSE, following targeted consultation in Q3 last year, and includes reform of services for medical card holders as one of several priority actions.