Joe Cooney (Clare, Fine Gael)
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3164. To ask the Minister for Health the details of all dental treatments available for medical card holders under the DTTS; the details of the fees paid to practitioners for each item; when these fees were agreed; the steps her Department is taking to ensure these fees are in line with the significant increase in costs of operating a dental practice; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43602/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) provides dental care, 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 additional fillings, dentures, 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.

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 introduce and reintroduce elements of preventative care and increase the fees paid to dentists for most treatment items by 40 to 60%. Fees paid to dentists for DTSS care are now aligned with other European countries which provide comparable public dental care, noting that many European countries, especially in the southern and eastern regions, don’t have any scheme in place for adults which is free at point of access.

These measures are having an impact, with access to care continuing to increase each year since they were introduced. In 2024, over 227,000 additional treatments were provided under the DTSS, supporting over 44,000 extra patients compared with 2022. Activity has continued to increase further into this year – preliminary data from the first half of this year indicates an additional almost 3,000 patients have been treated compared to the same period in 2024.

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

The implementation plan for the 2025-2027 phase of the Policy is currently being finalised by my Department and the HSE. Targeted stakeholder consultation on a draft of the plan was held, including with the IDA, in Q3 last year. The plan includes reform of services for adult medical card holders among the initial priorities.

I have asked the HSE to forward the requested details, “the details of all dental treatments available for medical card holders under the DTTS; the details of the fees paid to practitioners for each item” to the Deputy as soon as possible.