I have asked the chief executive officer of the Midland Health Board to reply directly to the Deputy's specific questions as a matter of urgency.
It is the experience here and in most developed countries that demand for orthodontic treatment exceeds real need where the service is provided free of charge.
Accordingly, my Department has asked health boards to apply certain objective criteria in assessing degrees of priority of need for specialist orthodontic treatment on the basis of degree of handicap and severity of malocclusion. I am satisfied that these criteria continue to be fair and relevant, and not in need of review at this stage.