Séamus McGrath (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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246. To ask the Minister for Health for an update on any plans to provide a new dental hospital for Cork, given that significant investment in the provision of dental services in the Cork region is urgently needed. [3815/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy should note that officials from the Department of Health are liaising with Cork University Dental School and Hospital regarding plans to expand capacity and train more dentists. My Department welcomes any proposal for expansion in the capacity of the dental workforce.

In 2022, the Higher Education Authority (HEA) conducted an exercise to identify options for the creation of additional capacity in a range of disciplines including Dentistry. A number of dentistry options, including an expansion in University College Cork (UCC) dentistry programme were identified. The HEA report in 2023 recommended UCC's dentistry proposal for delivering additional capacity. It must be noted that this recommendation and associated investment must be considered by Departments in the context of the ongoing National Development Plan review given the significant capital costs involved in expansion.

Health capital investment decisions are informed by Programme for Government priorities, sectoral policies, strategies and reform initiatives as set out in Sláintecare.

Work is ongoing through the appropriate processes to explore options to support the Cork University Dental School and Hospital to continue to deliver on its remit regarding both education and healthcare service provision.