Vol. 420 No. 9
141 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the situation in Cork where 1,700 adults are waiting for dental treatment by the Southern Health Board because of inadequate staffing levels, and if he will make a statement on the matter.
My Department has made additional allocations available to the Southern Health Board over the past few years for the development of the board's adult dental service. These additional allocations have enabled the board to recruit a number of additional dental teams and to authorise the carrying out of treatments by private practitioners under the choice of dentist scheme and to provide about 9,000 additional treatments annually for adult dental patients. The board has also an agreement with UCC/Cork Dental Hospital and School for the treatment of adults.
The improvements in the adult dental service have given rise to an increased demand for the service. The board reviews the dental waiting lists on a regular basis and service plans are developed by the board within the resources available.
