Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 17 Oct 1995

Vol. 457 No. 1

Written Answers. - Dental Treatment.

Liz O'Donnell

Question:

88 Ms O'Donnell asked the Minister for Health the reason dentists recruited by the South Eastern Health Board under the new denture scheme for old age pensioners in the Carlow area are only supplying emergency and routine services and not the provision of full dentures to old age pensioners in view of the fact that they are obliged to travel to Kilkenny if they wish to avail of the provision of full denture services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14909/95]

Minister for Health (Mr. Noonan,

Limerick East): The dental treatment services scheme, under which private dentists provide dental treatment services to medical card holders on behalf of health boards, allows private dentists to opt to provide emergency and routine treatment services and-or full denture services.

The South Eastern Health Board has informed me that a number of private dentists in Carlow, who have contracts with the board under the dental treatment services scheme have chosen to provide emergency and routine services only. However, the board is hopeful that a number of existing contract holders will opt to provide full denture services in the future. The board also intends to seek to attract additional private dentists into the dental treatment services scheme. The board is hopeful that this should go a long way towards resolving problems of the type outlined by the Deputy.