andMr. McQuillan asked the Minister for Health if he will indicate, in view of his statement that competition from outside for dental graduates created difficulties in providing an adequate dental service here, what steps he proposes to take to improve the conditions of service and, in particular, the remuneration of dentists in order to fill this country's professional needs in this regard.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dental Services.
17.
I presume that the Deputies are referring to statements which I made in the course of my speech at the annual dinner of the Irish Dental Association on 11th May in which I dealt with problems inherent in the development of public dental services and pointed out that significant improvement is difficult for want of two essentials: money and men.
In the course of that speech I went on to say:
Dentistry is a profession the members of which are in exceedingly short supply, and for their services there is an insatiable demand throughout the world. We find ourselves, therefore, in the position that we must bid against our more affluent neighbours for the services of our own nationals. They are in a position to offer more than our economy, with all the other demands upon it for social and economic development, can afford.
I had already said the same thing, in different words, in reply to a Parliamentary Question by Deputy Mullen on 14th March last.
I should say, however, that I have already given some indication that if an improvement in the salary scale of the public dental officers, particularly by way of an increase in the maximum, is proposed to me by the local authorities, with which the initiative in these matters lies, it will be considered as sympathetically as possible.
Would the Minister be prepared to have another look at the position in connection with Irish dentists who graduated abroad and who would like to come back to this country, but are precluded from practising here because they did not take out their degree in Ireland?
The Minister for Health is not the licensing authority. People who practise dentistry in this country are, by Act of the Oireachtas, provided with authorisation by the licensing bodies in this country. I could not possibly interfere with that position.
In view of the fact that there is a shortage of dentists, would the Minister not be prepared to make a suggestion to those bodies in the interests of the community?
I do not think I would be justified in doing that. After all, there is no assurance that, if the licensing authority were to permit dentists who qualify abroad to practise here, and have their names entered on the Irish Dental Register, they would stay here, or would be accepted for practice in Great Britain.
Is it not a fact that an Irish dentist who qualified in America and is accepted in Britain can automatically come home to Ireland? Is that not the position? Is an Irish body not responsible for preventing Irish citizens who qualify abroad from coming here directly by forcing them to go to Britain first?
So far as I know, a dentist who holds his licence from a licensing authority abroad is not permitted ipso facto to practise in Great Britain. In fact, we had a case in the courts the other day of an expert witness who had to qualify in Great Britain before he was permitted to practise there.
If he is licensed by the British authority, he then automatically becomes entitled to practise in Ireland. Surely the licensing authority should allow an Irish national who qualifies as a dentist——
That is an argument.
It is not an argument; it is a statement of fact.
It is important for the people of this country that only properly qualified and educated dentists should be permitted to practise here. The only guarantee we have that that position will continue to obtain is that whoever wishes to practise here will be authorised by the licensing body to practise here and undergo whatever course of training the licensing authority may expect from them.
No one suggested otherwise.
Is it witch doctors the Deputy wants to have?
(Interruptions.)
There is ample scope for a witch doctor in the case of the Deputy. A head-shrinker, he wants.
That is not the right way to refer to the Leader of the Labour Party.
How do I come into this?
The Minister is attempting to defend some of his less reputable friends.
18.
andMr. McQuillan asked the Minister for Health (a) the total number of (1) full-time and (2) part-time dentists in the local authority dental services, and (b) the total estimated number needed in each case to provide an adequate and satisfactory service.
The present approved establishment of wholetime dental officers in the health authority service is 93. Of these 85 are at present filled and steps are being taken to make appointments to the remaining eight posts. In addition there are 52 dentists employed by health authorities on a part-time basis. It is estimated that the equivalent of about 800 wholetime dentists would be required to provide an adequate and satisfactory service for persons eligible for dental services under the Health Acts. The cost of such staff, for salaries and pension liability alone, would exceed £1¼ millions a year, to say nothing of the capital cost of premises and equipment and the cost of attendants, travelling, etc.
I should say that this estimate of requirements is based on the assumption that effective measures for the prevention of dental decay are not in force.
In view of the fact that these figures show the inadequacy of our dental health services, would the Minister not agree that taken with the deplorable figures published in regard to dental decay amongst our children, due to the Government's failure over the years on social and economic issues——
Surely that is an argument.
Is it not time the Minister took radical steps to remedy this position?
My recollection may be at fault, but I think the Deputy who has just put that question was himself responsible for a period of years for the dental services, and I did not notice any marked improvement.
By the time I had dealt with the TB mess and the other messes left by the Minister—it would not take me 20 years, as it has taken his Party, to do nothing.