Vol. 415 No. 8
96 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Health if he will review the situation where the allocation to the South-Eastern Health Board for the dental scheme for medical card holders is grossly inadequate; and if he will make additional funds available.
For the past few years my Department have made a special additional allocation available to the South-Eastern Health Board specifically for the development of adult dental services for medical card holders. The special additional allocation provided in 1991 for this purpose was £285,000 and the board's allocation for 1992 includes a repeat of this special provision for the continuing development of the adult dental services.
These special allocations have enabled the board to provide an additional 2,000, approximately, adult treatments in 1990 and an additional 8,380 adult treatments in 1991.
My Department are engaged with the board in a review of the services and discussions are currently being held on the board's proposals for the development of the adult dental services in 1992.
