Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 22 Jun 1999

Vol. 506 No. 5

Written Answers. - Dental Services.

Róisín Shortall

Question:

136 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Health and Children the position regarding the extension of free dental services to all medical card holders in the 35 to 64 year old age bracket; if agreement has been reached with the Irish Dental Association to implement the change; if the same services currently afforded to adults in the other age brackets will be extended to all adult medical card holders; the time scale involved for implementing the change; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16241/99]

Alan Shatter

Question:

150 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Health and Children the action, if any, he proposes to take regarding the threatened withdrawal of dentists from his Department's dental treatment service scheme; the reason the dentists working under this scheme are paid less than for identical work through the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs dental scheme; and the steps, if any, he proposes to take to ensure all adult medical card holders will receive the treatment required by them. [15881/99]

Gay Mitchell

Question:

162 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Health and Children the timetable for the introduction of routine dental treatment in the age range 35 to 65 for those on a medical card; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15914/99]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Cowen)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 136, 150 and 162 together.

A commencement date for the extension of routine dental treatment services under the dental treatment services scheme to persons in the 35-64 age group is part of a package of proposals drawn up in the context of a claim for a fee increase made by the Irish Dental Association, IDA, and on which an offer has been made through the health service employers agency. It is my intention to extend eligibility to this group from 1 September next provided that I can negotiate satisfactory monitoring arrangements with the IDA.

The Health Service Employers Agency has sought clarification from the Irish Dental Association of the association's recent decision to ballot its members on a withdrawal from the scheme. The decision to ballot and threat to withdraw from the scheme was announced to the media before my Department or the HSEA was informed. The HSEA has also indicated its willingness to have further discussions with the association in regard to its claim.

Dentists providing services under the dental treatment services scheme and under the dental treatment benefit scheme do so under separate contractual arrangements. The IDA has nego tiated special fee increases under the DTBS with the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs in return for implementation of 1997 budget provisions for the abolition of the £35,000 income limit, relaxation of dependency conditions, and the extension of dental benefit to public service workers and for dropping any claims to items which were annexed to a 1992 Agreement with that Department, viz. pensions, sick leave, study leave, etc. These special fee increases were applicable to circumstances peculiar to that Department's agreement with the IDA for the provision of services under the DTBS.