Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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488. To ask the Minister for Health if any financial assistance is available for the cost of orthodontic treatment for children where the child is a private patient, with no medical card; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22359/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The HSE provides orthodontic treatment to those who have the greatest level of need and have been assessed and referred for treatment before their 16th birthday. Referrals for HSE orthodontic assessment are made at the sixth class oral health assessment appointment, if the dentist determines that the child may meet the HSE's criteria. Children whose treatment need is assessed by a HSE orthodontist as being in Grade 4 or Grade 5 of the Index are offered treatment through the HSE. No medical card is required for this treatment.

Service users may also avail of private healthcare services at any time. However, the HSE is not able to reimburse patients once they have begun treatment privately. Patients or parents who pay for dental services from a private practitioner may claim tax relief for non-routine dental treatment such as orthodontics via Revenue's Med2 Scheme.

I am aware that there are currently delays in accessing public orthodontic services and a range of measures have been and are being implemented to address this. The HSE has put in place a number of measures to address waiting times including treatment waiting list initiatives, services improvement initiatives and access to orthodontic services outside the jurisdiction for patients who meet the HSE's criteria.

To support access to public oral healthcare, including orthodontics, €2m was provided in Budget 2025 to continue implementation of the National Oral Health Policy (NOHP) and provide an additional 15 HSE dental and orthodontic staff nationally.

There has also been significant investment of over €17 million in recent years in orthodontics treatment waiting list initiatives, for patients who are assessed by the HSE as being within Grade 4 of the HSE’s assessment criteria and for HSE patients who need jaw surgery as part of their orthodontic treatment plan. These successful initiatives are being continued this year through the provision of €2.85 million in funding nationally.