(South Tipperary) asked the Minister for Health whether in view of the stated scarcity of fulltime dentists in the public service he will now consider employing private dentists, where available, on a part-time basis.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dental Services.
14.
While health authorities have been hampered in providing dental services by the difficulty in recruiting the services of whole-time dental surgeons, a large number of such posts has recently been advertised by the Local Appointments Commissioners. An improved salary scale has recently been approved for such posts, and it is hoped that this added inducement will attract candidates to enter the local authority dental service.
The Deputy may not be aware that I have in fact approved of the employment of private dentists on a part-time basis by a number of health authorities. At the moment a total of 49 private dentists are providing services on a sessional basis for 14 such authorities.
I am keeping the whole question of the employment of dentists, both on a whole-time and a sessional basis, under review.
(South Tipperary): Would the Minister be prepared to instruct local authorities that he is now prepared to accept these temporary appointments?
I think all local authorities are well aware of that fact, considering 14 of them already have part-time dentists in their employment.
Will the Minister not agree that for three or four years Cork County Council endeavoured to secure approval for the appointment of part-time dentists and it was refused by the Minister?
If the Deputy would give me the date on which that refusal was conveyed to them, I would be in a position to answer the supplementary.