Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 14 Feb 2001

Vol. 530 No. 4

Written Answers. - Orthodontics Service

Dick Spring

Question:

135 Dick Spring asked the Minister for Health and Children the number and location of orthodontists employed in each health board area in the past three years. [4194/01]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr Martin)

The employment of orthodontic staff is the responsibility of the health boards in the first instance. The following information, which was made available to me on 13th February 2001, indicates the number and location of orthodontic staff employed by each health board.

Health Board	Location	1998Number of Orthodontists Employed
Eastern Regional Health Authority	St. James's HospitalFinglas Health CentreKilbarrack Health CentreNorth Strand Health CentreBallinteer Health CentreCrumlin Health Centre	1 x Consultant Orthodontist6 x Senior Dental Surgeons with M. Orth. qualifications providing a service
Midland Health Board	PortlaoiseTullamoreMullingarLongfordAthlone	1.7 wholetime equivalent orthodontists working on a fee per item basis and 0.8 wholetime equivalent salaried orthodontist on contract
Mid-Western Health Board	St. Camillus HospitalEnnis Dental Clinic	1 x Consultant Orthodontist2 x full time Senior Dental Surgeons1 x half time Senior Dental Surgeon1 x Senior Dental Surgeon providing a service one day a week
North-Eastern Health Board	Dundalk Dental ClinicNavan Dental ClinicCavan Dental ClinicMonaghan Dental Clinic	1 x Consultant Orthodontist
North-Western Health Board
South-Eastern Health Board	Based in Orthodontic Department in Waterford Regional Hospital	1 x Consultant Orthodontist6 x Orthodontists
Southern Health Board	St Finbar's HospitalTralee Dental ClinicMallow Dental Clinic	1 x Consultant Orthodontist6 x Senior Dental Surgeons providing a service
Western Health Board	Merlin Park Regional HospitalClaremorris Dental ClinicMayo Dental ClinicRoscommon Dental Clinic	1 x Consultant Orthodontist3 x Senior Clinical Dental Surgeons providing a service1 x part time Principal Dental Officer providing a service

Health Board	Location	1999 Number of Orthodontists Employed
Eastern Regional Health Authority	St. James's HospitalFinglas Health CentreKilbarrack Health CentreNorth Strand Health CentreBallinteer Health CentreCrumlin Health Centre	1 x Consultant Orthodontist6 x Senior Dental Surgeons with M. Orth. qualifications providing a service
Midland Health Board	PortlaoiseTullamoreMullingarLongfordAthlone	1.7 wholetime equivalent orthodontists working on a fee per item basis and 0.8 wholetime equivalent salaried orthodontist on contract
Mid-Western Health Board	St. Camillus HospitalEnnis Dental Clinic	1 x Consultant Orthodontist2 x full time Senior Dental Surgeons1 x half time Senior Dental Surgeon1 x Senior Dental Surgeon providing a service one day a week
North-Eastern Health Board	Dundalk Dental ClinicNavan Dental ClinicCavan Dental ClinicMonaghan Dental Clinic	1 x Consultant Orthodontist2 x Senior Dental Surgeons with M. Orth. qualifications providing a service
North-Western Health Board
South-Eastern Health Board	Based in Orthodontic Department in Waterford Regional Hospital	1 x Consultant Orthodontist6 x Orthodontists
Southern Health Board	St Finbar's HospitalTralee Dental ClinicMallow Dental Clinic	1 x Consultant Orthodontist6 x Senior Dental Surgeons providing a service
Health Board	Location	1999 Number of Orthodontists Employed
Western Health Board	Merlin Park Regional HospitalClaremorris Dental ClinicMayo Dental ClinicRoscommon Dental Clinic	1 x Consultant Orthodontist2 x Senior Clinical Dental Surgeons providing a service2 x part time Senior Dental Surgeons providing a service1 x part time Principal Dental Officer providing a service

Health Board	Location	2000Number of Orthodontists Employed
Eastern Regional Health Authority	St. James's HospitalFinglas Health CentreKilbarrack Health CentreNorth Strand Health CentreBallinteer Health CentreCrumlin Health Centre	1 x Consultant Orthodontist6 x Senior Dental Surgeons with M. Orth. qualifications providing a service
Midland Health Board	PortlaoiseTullamoreMullingarLongfordAthlone	1.7 wholetime equivalent orthodontists working on a fee per item basis and 0.8 wholetime equivalent salaried orthodontist on contract
Mid-Western Health Board	St. Camillus HospitalEnnis Dental Clinic	1 x Consultant Orthodontist2 x full time Senior Dental Surgeons1 x half time Senior Dental Surgeon1 x Senior Dental Surgeon providing a service one day a week
North-Eastern Health Board	Dundalk Dental ClinicNavan Dental ClinicCavan Dental ClinicMonaghan Dental Clinic	1 x Consultant Orthodontist3 x Senior Dental Surgeons with M. Orth. qualifications providing a service
North-Western Health Board
South-Eastern Health Board	Based in Orthodontic Department in Waterford Regional Hospital	1 x Consultant Orthodontist6 x Orthodontists
Southern Health Board	St Finbar's HospitalTralee Dental ClinicMallow Dental Clinic	1 x Consultant Orthodontist6 x Senior Dental Surgeons providing a service
Western Health Board	Merlin Park Regional HospitalClaremorris Dental ClinicMayo Dental ClinicRoscommon Dental Clinic	1 x Consultant Orthodontist4 x Senior Clinical Dental Surgeons providing a service2 x part time Specialist Practitioners1 x part time Principal Dental Officer providing a service

It has not been possible to obtain the required information from the North-Western Health Board in the time available and I will write to the Deputy in this regard with the information from the Board.

Dick Spring

Question:

136 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Health and Children the total amount of funding allocated through each of the health boards in the past three years for orthodontic and general dental services. [4195/01]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

The amount of additional funds allocated to health boards in the past three years for orthodontic and general dental services is as follows:

		1999 (m)	2000 (m)	2001 (m)
ERHA	Dental	1.336	3.835	1.639
	Orthodontics		0.3	2.34
	Secondary Care		0.45	0.225
	Orthodontics &Secondary Care	0.595
	Other	0.238	0.453	0.273
MHB	Dental	0.29	1.015	0.316
	Orthodontics		0.1	0.19
MWHB	Dental	0.584	1.495	0.447
	Orthodontics		0.1	0.454
	Secondary Care		0.15	0.075
	Orthodontics &Secondary Care	0.05
NEHB	Dental	0.43	1.647	0.527
	Orthodontics		0.3	0.44
		1999 (m)	2000 (m)	2001 (m)
NWHB	Dental	0.46	1.079	0.421
	Orthodontics		0.15	0.215
SEHB	Dental	0.41	2.03	0.632
	Orthodontics	0.075	0.1	0.15
SHB	Dental	0.51	2.336	0.792
	Orthodontics		0.25	0.938
	Cork Dental Hospital			0.1
WHB	Dental	0.63	1.705	0.659
	Orthodontics	0.22	0.15	0.495

This brings the total expenditure on orthodontic services to £8.702 million and on general dental services to £43.264 million in 2001.

Dick Spring

Question:

137 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of teenage patients on waiting lists in each health board area in the past three years who have reached the cut off age without receiving orthodontic treatment. [4196/01]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

The priority of need for specialist orthodontic treatment is assessed according to the guidelines issued by my Department and patients placed on the treatment waiting list are called on the basis of priority need. There is no cut-off age for treatment.

Dick Spring

Question:

138 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of patients awaiting orthodontic treatment in the Southern Health Board area; the number on the list at this time in 2000; the number of procedures commenced; and the number and location of procedures which it is estimated will be dealt with in 2001. [4197/01]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

There are currently 4,500 patients awaiting orthodontic treatment in the Southern Health Board area. In February 2000, there were 4,500 patients awaiting treatment and during that year approximately 1,000 treatments were commenced. It is not possible to predict the precise number of procedures that will be commenced during 2001.