asked the Minister for Health what steps he intends to take to bring about a definite improvement in the dental service for school children.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - School Dental Service.
58.
The responsibility for providing a dental service for school children rests on health authorities in the first instance. The scope of the service has been limited by the difficulty in getting dentists to take up this work, and an increase in the number of dental officers employed by health authorities must be the first priority at present. Agreement was recently reached on a much improved salary scale for dental surgeons and I expect that the recruitment position will improve as a result of this.
I intend to continue the policy of gradually increasing the number of public dental officer posts and encouraging arrangements with private dentists, on a sessional basis, pending the filling of the vacant posts.
Is the Minister aware there is a long delay between the time the dentist visits the school and the time the children have the teeth extracted? That causes hardship to parents and pain to children. Would the Minister put this down as top priority in his Department?
There is nothing about which I am more concerned. Not all the fault rests with my Department. It is extremely desirable that private dentists should be integrated into the service as quickly as possible but, in that connection, there is the attitude of the Dental Association in the matter of fees.
Is there a scheme to integrate private dentists?
Yes.
Is it going ahead satisfactorily?
It is not.
Does the Minister think the difficulties can be ironed out in the near future?
I hope so.
Sir, I should like to raise the subject matter of Question No. 56 on the Adjournment.
I will communicate with the Deputy in the course of the afternoon.
With your permission, Sir, I should like, because of the unsatisfactory reply, to raise the subject matter of Question No. 53 on the Adjournment.
There cannot be two questions. I will communicate with the Deputy.