Vol. 494 No. 4
308 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to the long waiting lists for orthodontic treatment in the north-west and particularly in Donegal; and the steps, if any, he proposes to take in order to alleviate the serious situation. [18619/98]
The provision of orthodontic treatment to eligible persons in County Donegal is the statutory responsibility of the North-Western Health Board.
The board's secondary care orthodontic services are provided at specially designated departments at Letterkenny and Sligo General Hospitals. The service is led by a consultant orthodontic surgeon who attends both centres. Persons requiring orthodontic treatment are categorised by the board according to the severity of their condition. I am advised by the board that at present there are 1,200 patients on the waiting list. The most severe cases receive immediate treatment. The waiting period for other patients on the waiting list varies from 12 to 30 months.
The board has also advised me that interviews were held recently to recruit two senior clinical dental surgeons in orthodontics with a focus on addressing the principal concern relating to the service's waiting list. The board hopes to have the recruitment process completed within the next two weeks.
