Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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2021. To ask the Minister for Health if she will provide an update on the dental treatment services scheme; the current number of dentists registered in the scheme and the number of dentists registered in the scheme in April 2024, by county, in tabular form; the work her Department is doing to increase the number of dentists who are not only registered in the scheme but willing to take on new patients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18803/25]

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.

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.

The Policy contains a range of strategic workforce planning actions to increase national workforce capacity, in support of improving patient access to care. The Department of Health is currently finalising a workforce census for oral healthcare and has commenced work on a scoping project for a mid-level professional grade for oral healthcare, as an additional measure to increase capacity in the workforce. A programme to encourage the redistribution of oral healthcare professionals to underserved areas is also a key action in the Policy. For oral healthcare professionals working in isolated rural areas far away from centres of education, it will be essential to provide support in the form of mentoring programmes as well as by introducing long-distance and accessible continuing development education programmes.

I have asked the HSE to forward the requested data, the current number of dentists registered in the scheme and the number of dentists registered in the scheme in April 2024, by county, in tabular form, to the Deputy as soon as possible.