Nora Owen
Question:36 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will make a statement on the waiting list for orthodontic treatment. [12596/02]
Vol. 552 No. 4
36 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will make a statement on the waiting list for orthodontic treatment. [12596/02]
41 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children his plans to improve the orthodontic services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12602/02]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 36 and 41 together.
The provision of orthodontic treatment to eligible persons is the statutory responsibility of the health boards in the first instance. I have taken a range of important measures to improve the capacity of the public orthodontic services and place it on a sound, long-term footing.
Structural changes are being introduced into the orthodontic service such as the creation of the grade of specialist in orthodontics, the development of specialist training programmes and the creation of an auxiliary grade of orthodontic therapist to work in the orthodontic area.
Six dentists from the Eastern Regional Health Authority, the North-Eastern Health Board and the South-Eastern Health Board commenced their training last October for specialist in orthodontics qualifications. My Department has provided €0.541 million in 2002 for specialist in orthodontics training. Furthermore, three dentists from the Western Health Board and the North-Eastern Health Board are already in specialist training for orthodontics and this brings the total number of dentists in such training to nine.
The general objectives of these training programmes is to educate dentists to become specialists in orthodontics with a broad academic background and experience in different clinical treatment methods. They are made possible by co-operation between health boards, consultants and dental teaching institutions. Discussions on providing an additional training course to commence this year are also under way.
My Department has funded the appointment of a director of specialist training for the Irish Committee for Specialist Training in Dentistry through the Postgraduate Medical and Dental Board. The director has taken up duty and will play a pivotal role in assisting the different agencies involved in dental specialist training programmes. In addition, my Department has also funded the recruitment of a professor in orthodontics at Cork University Dental School to facilitate the development of an approved training programme leading to specialist qualifications in orthodontics. Capital funding of approximately €1.27 million was also provided to the orthodontics unit there for its refurbishment to an appropriate standard.