Mary Flaherty
Question:1 Miss Flaherty asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether he has made any progress in resolving the ongoing dispute affecting dental services for insured employees and their spouses.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Dental Services.
Since my last statement on this matter to Deputy Flaherty on 29 May 1990, negotiations at official level with the Irish Dental Association have been continuing.
At that time I indicated that discussions were underway concerning details on dental costs supplied by the association. Further discussions have taken place between officials of my Department and the association on the details of dental practice costs and possible, methods of deriving a set of agreed fees and conditions under the dental benefit scheme. Arising from the discussions the association are to put further proposals to my Department and these will be considered at a further meeting with the Irish Dental Association planned for the end of November.
I am conscious of the fact that a number of dentists are in breach of their existing agreements and that patients are being inappropriately charged for certain items of treatment. I am, therefore, anxious that meaningful discussions with the Irish Dental Association should be brought to a positive conclusion as quickly as possible.
If, however, it becomes clear that the current discussions will not be fruitful, I will have no option but to take action against dentists refusing to operate the terms of the scheme. I am, however, anxious to explore any avenue for settling the matter on an agreed basis before undertaking any action of this kind.
In view of the fact that this dispute has been going on since 1988 will the Minister give us an assurance that he will try to resolve it as quickly as possible? Is he confident that such a resolution will lead to the putting in place of dental services for insured workers?
As the Deputy is aware, the scheme was extended to include dependent spouses of insured workers and 258 dentists accepted contracts under the extended scheme. I am anxious to ensure that as many dentists as possible participate in the scheme, that our discussions with the Irish Dental Association reach a conclusion and that the dispute is settled on an amicable basis. An extensive examination of practice costs was carried out in the interim to establish a basis for dental practice costs. I hope we can bring this examination to a conclusion as soon as possible.
May I ask one final question?
A brief question please, Deputy.
Having regard to the 15-year history of broken agreements with the Irish Dental Association and their concerns not just for insured workers, and their spouses, but also for the holders of medical cards, will the Minister consider meeting his colleague, the Minister for Health, with a view to putting in place a scheme which will take us well into the future and will cover medical card holders, as recommended by the Commission on Health Funding?
We are now having an extension of this question.
That is both a different and more extensive question.