asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is now in a position to state when dental benefits will again be made available for insured contributors under the National Health Insurance Acts.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - National Health Insurance—Dental Benefits.
The answer is in the negative.
As I informed the Deputy on 15th October last in reply to a similar question, the Additional Benefits Scheme approved by me under the National Health Insurance Acts provided for an expenditure on dental benefits within a limit of £131,000 a year. The negotiations which were in progress between the National Health Insurance Society and the dental associations when I replied to that question ended on 7th November with an offer by the society which, I am informed, represented a substantial advance on the scale of fees previously payable and on an earlier offer. The associations referred the matter to a ballot of their members and I understand that the society was informed yesterday that the offer had been rejected.
The society has not yet had an opportunity of considering the position arising from that rejection and if, as may be the case, it feels that the offer represents the limit of the concession it should make in the interests of restoring the service for its members, the delay in bringing a scheme into operation may be protracted.
I take it the Minister is aware of the hardships suffered by insured contributors because dental benefit is not available. I take it also that he is aware of the consequential drain on the funds of the society by reason of the fact that benefit is not available to members of the society. In these circumstances would the Minister consider at this stage representing jointly to the society and to the dentists' associations that, pending a settlement of the dispute on fees, the society should continue to provide the dental treatment and the dentists should undertake to execute the necessary treatment on the understanding that whatever arrangement is arrived at would be applied retrospectively to cover such treatment afforded during the period of the dispute — in other words, to take the insured contributors out of the arena of the dispute?
I have met both the dental associations and the insurance society and I have found it impossible to get any agreement. I do not think I can do any more. My only function is to approve of the terms put up by the society. I may inform the Deputy that any influence used by me was to improve their offer.
I take it the Minister accepts that this dispute will ultimately be settled. Why, in the meantime, must the insured contributor suffer? Are the dental associations, on the one hand, and the society, on the other hand, not sufficiently alive to an appreciation of their mutual responsibility in the matter of providing insured contributors with dental treatment? Whatever settlement is arrived at about the fees could be applied retrospectively to such treatment as is now afforded. Surely that is not an unreasonable request? Will the Minister try to pilot it through these contending parties?
I do not know whether they would consider that reasonable, but I will find out.
Will you take the statement and tell them they ought to see to it?