, Limerick East): The current position under the dental treatment services scheme, which was introduced by my Department on 1 November 1994, is that dental treatment services will be extended to all adults with medical card eligibility on a phased basis.
In the initial phasing of the scheme persons aged 65 years and over were identified as a priority group and additional resources have been made available to health boards to enable them to provide dental treatment services including dentures for this group. In addition emergency dental treatment for the relief of pain is available under the dental treatment services scheme to all medical card holders irrespective of age since the beginning of the scheme.