Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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3235. To ask the Minister for Health if her Department has liaised with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science with a view to increasing the number of dentistry places for Ireland/EU students in University College Cork and Trinity College Dublin, in view of the fact that there has been no such increase over the past 20 years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44016/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Work is ongoing through the appropriate processes to explore all options to support both University College Cork and Trinity College Dublin to deliver on their remit regarding both education and healthcare service provision.

My Department continues to engage with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS) and the Higher Education Authority (HEA) with regards to increasing the capacity of Irish/EU students in University College Cork and Trinity College Dublin.

As part of this engagement, the Department of Health has received a proposal for funding from University College Cork to establish a dental outreach centre. This would enable the training of additional undergraduate students in the dentistry programme, in a primary care setting, benefiting both Irish and EU students. Discussions are currently ongoing between my Department and DFHERIS to try and progress this proposal with a view to maximising both Irish and EU places to enhance workforce capacity in Ireland, as well as increased service provision.

The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science is also open to the possibility of exploring increasing the number of dentistry places in the Dublin Dental University Hospital at Trinity College Dublin. This will require Government approval before further discussion and agreement can take place between my Department and DFHERIS.

Together, we will continue to liaise with the UCC and TCD dental schools around funding for dentistry places, with a view to rebalancing the ratio of EU to non-EU students studying dentistry.

My Department remains committed to ensuring that our oral healthcare system is supported by a steady and sustainable pipeline of highly skilled graduates. Ensuring adequate capacity to train future dentists is part of the Government's commitment to workforce planning that supports the health and wellbeing of our population. By enhancing our future workforce, we are taking steps to ensure that the National Oral Health Policy is implemented.

Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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3236. To ask the Minister for Health if there are any plans to reform the current Register for Dentists to include information such as location, services provided, and hours worked, in order to provide a reliable overview of the current number of dentists practising in the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44020/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy should note that there are plans to reform the current Register for Dentists. In order to progress this, my Department is finalising the design of an oral healthcare workforce skills assessment census. The workforce census is intended to gather information including the proportion of registered oral healthcare professionals who are practising in their registered profession, the location of their practice, services they provide, hours worked and the skills they have.

The data collected from the workforce census will enable the collation of information to support workforce planning for the oral healthcare sector by providing vital insights into the oral healthcare workforce and by identifying the skills that oral healthcare professionals need to provide the new model of service as set out in the National Oral Health Policy.

On a positive note, it is heartening to note that currently 3,888 dentists on the Register of Dentists as of July 2025. This is an increase of 186 since June 2024 and is the highest number ever recorded. This reflects ongoing upward trends regarding registered dentists in the State, and compares favourably with the numbers in April 2019, when Smile agus Sláinte was published – 3,100, an increase of over 25%.