Vol. 493 No. 3
289 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to the inadequacies of dental care available to people and particularly children on Arranmore Island, County Donegal; and the plans, if any, he has to improve the level of service available there. [15970/98]
The provision of dental services to eligible persons on Arranmore Island, County Donegal is the statutory responsibility of the North-Western Health Board. I have been advised by the North-Western Health Board that the board has had difficulties in recent times in recruiting an adequate number of dentists for the west Donegal area and this has, in particular, affected the service on Arranmore Island. It has not been possible for the board to provide regular dental services on the island for over a year. People from Arranmore are, however, able to avail of dental services in Dungloe. The board accepts that this is inconvenient to these people. I and the board regret this. However, the board has advised me that the principal dental officer in Donegal is making arrangements to have any waiting lists for dental treatment on Arranmore carried out over the coming weeks by sending a dental team to the island. The board is making strenuous efforts to recruit additional dentists for west Donegal and hopes that its efforts will be successful in the near future.
