Limerick East): Under the new dental treatment services scheme introduced by my Department on 1 November 1994, edentulous persons who are aged 65 years and over have been identified as a priority group in the first phase of the scheme. Special additional funding has been provided to health boards to implement this scheme. Routine dental treatment will be progressively extended to other age groups over the next few years under the scheme.
However, in addition to services provided under the dental treatment services scheme health boards, where resources permit, provide services to adults not currently covered by the scheme. These services include, as appropriate, the provision of dentures to persons under the age of 65 years. Detailed information in regard to these service provisions would not be routinely made available to my Department.
An emergency service for the relief of pain is available to all persons with medical card entitlement.
As the provision of treatment to the person who is the subject of the Deputy's inquiries is a matter for the Eastern Health Board I have asked the chief executive officer of the board to reply to the Deputy in the case as a matter of urgency.
