Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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2314. To ask the Minister for Health to address the lack of dental practices in Kerry accepting new patients under the medical card scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45578/25]

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.

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 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 January-August of this year indicates an additional 6,000 patients nationally 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 National Oral Health Policy (NOHP), Smile Agus Sláinte. The policy provides a framework to comprehensively reform oral healthcare services, supported by accompanying reforms to legislation, strategic workforce planning and education and training. These new oral healthcare services will be prevention-focused and will be tailored to each age group across the life course from birth to old age. 

The implementation plan for the 2025-2027 phase of the Policy 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.