Brian Brennan (Wicklow-Wexford, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1214. To ask the Minister for Health the efforts being made to reduce the waiting time for children approved for public orthodontic treatment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48173/25]

Micheál Carrigy (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1263. To ask the Minister for Health the measures being taken to reduce current waiting times for children requiring orthodontic treatment, given reports that waiting times are now estimated at up to four years; her plans to introduce a specific initiative to address these delays; if she will confirm whether vacant dental and orthodontic posts are being actively recruited to; if agency staff are being engaged in the interim to fill vacancies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48456/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1214 and 1263 together.

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. All referrals to the HSE Orthodontic Unit are assessed by an orthodontist using standardised clinical criteria. Children whose treatment need is assessed by a HSE orthodontist as being Grade 4 or Grade 5 according to the HSE’s criteria are offered treatment through the HSE. No medical card is required for this treatment.

However, there are currently delays in accessing this service and the HSE has put in place a number of measures to address waiting times. These include treatment waiting list initiatives, services improvement initiatives and access to orthodontic services outside the jurisdiction for patients who meet the HSE's criteria.

In particular, there has been significant investment of €17m between 2022 and 2024 to support access to children’s orthodontic treatment. This funding has seen the creation of a new initiative supporting access to jaw surgery for orthodontic patients and the transfer of over 4000 patients into private, community-based orthodontic treatment. These successful initiatives are being continued this year through the provision of €2.85 million in funding nationally. Through this initiative, in 2025, 144 patients have been transferred to private orthodontic care and 43 patients have received jaw surgery as part of their orthodontic treatment.

In the long term, the Government is committed to fundamentally reforming oral healthcare services, including children's orthodontic services, through implementation of the National Oral Health Policy, Smile agus Sláinte. Budget 2025 allocated €2m for 2025, increasing to €4m in 2026, to continue the implementation of the National Oral Health Policy. This investment is going to provide an additional 15 dental staff across dentists and dental nurses to deliver oral healthcare services. The HSE is also progressing recruitment of 34.7 vacant oral healthcare whole-time-equivalents. This includes 3 vacant Specialist Orthodontist and 2.2 supporting dental nurse whole-time-equivalents, supporting access to our HSE Orthodontic Units.

An implementation plan for the first phase of policy implementation to end-2027 is currently being finalised by my Department and the HSE.