Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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2301. To ask the Minister for Health how the additional €2 million will be spent in 2025 on the implementation of National Oral Health Policy. [20144/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Budget 2025 allocated €2m for 2025, increasing to €4m in 2026, to continue the implementation of the National Oral Health Policy.

The National Oral Health Policy sets out the vision for oral healthcare services in Ireland and has two key goals:

1. To provide the supports to enable every individual to achieve their personal best oral health; and

2. To reduce oral health inequalities across the population, by enabling vulnerable groups to access oral healthcare and improve their oral health.

The implementation plan for the first phase of policy rollout to end-2027 is being finalised by my Department and the HSE, following targeted consultation in Q3 2024. Once published, the plan will set out the priorities for this first phase of implementation, which include reform of services for adults and children. Projects being supported this year through the additional Budget 2025 funding include compliance with Ireland’s obligations under Regulation (EU) 2024/1849 regarding the use of dental amalgam and preparation for reform of oral healthcare services for those living in residential settings.

This Budget 2025 investment is also supporting the recruitment of an additional 15 HSE oral healthcare staff to deliver oral healthcare in the community for children and for adult medical card holders with additional needs, thereby supporting access to the current model of service while policy implementation proceeds.

The Budget 2025 investment builds on funding provided in recent years to enhance the current Dental Treatment Services Scheme for adult medical card holders and to enable the HSE to progress development of new services for children. Once published, the implementation plan will guide considerations within future budgetary cycles.