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 478 adult treatments in 1990 and an additional 938 adult treatments in 1991 in Wexford. The total number of adults treated in County Wexford in 1991 was 4,510.
The issue of authorisations for adult treatments in the Wexford area was scaled down by the board during mid-1991 because of overrun in the specific provisions made by the board for adult treatments and treatment for pain, sepsis and emergency cases only was provided.
My Department are however 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.
