Vol. 555 No. 5
272 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children the way in which the waiting list for orthodontic treatment reduced from four years on 16 September 2002 to two and a half to three years on 9 October 2002 in the Western Health Board region; and the way in which this reduction was achieved. [18821/02]
The provision of orthodontic services and the maintenance of waiting lists for the service in the Western Health Board is the responsibility of that board in the first instance.
The waiting lists returned by the Western Health Board to my Department show that at the end of the June 2002 quarter, the waiting time for treatment was between two and a half and three years. My Department has asked the chief executive officer, Western Health Board to address any anomaly in the waiting times for treatment mentioned by the Deputy and to reply to him directly.
