Dinny McGinley
Question:9 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will refund dental expenses to those people who had to pay for their dental treatment during the dispute with the Irish Dental Association. [4857/03]
Written Answers - Dental Service.
Seán Crowe
Question:34 Mr. Crowe asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the way in which the money saved as a result of her refusal to accept claims from workers under the PRSI scheme during the dental dispute will be allocated; and her Department's estimate of this figure. [4953/03]
Billy Timmins
Question:37 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the situation with regard to the dispute with the Irish Dental Association; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4882/03]
Bernard J. Durkan
Question:42 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the amount of money withheld from dentists during the course of the recent dispute in regard to dental benefits; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4997/03]
Paul McGrath
Question:61 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the situation concerning the provision of dental services for PRSI contributions; the number of weeks since the dental dispute first commenced; her plans to compensate insured workers who had to pay for dental treatment during this dispute; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4880/03]
Dinny McGinley
Question:62 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the way in which she will compensate people who have lost out on dental treatment due to the dental dispute. [4856/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 9, 34, 37, 42, 61 and 62 together.
Dental benefit is provided to insured workers through a panel of dentists who enter into agreements with my Department to provide treatments under the scheme on a contract basis and at fees specified in the agreements. Under these arrangements and with limited exceptions, treatments are provided to the patients free of charge or at a reduced fee and the Department pays the balance of the cost directly to the dentist at the agreed rates.
From the beginning of August 2002 my Department ceased to accept claims from dentists who were imposing increased patient charges in breach of these arrangements. Patients were advised at that stage to check that their dentist was continuing to operate within his contract with the Department and in cases where this was not so, they were advised to use my Departments LOCALL service to get details of dentists adhering to the agreed fees for treatments.
Patients were also advised that the Department would not be in a position to refund any costs arising from treatment provided to them as private patients. The LOCALL service has been heavily used by patients who have been directed to alternative dentists who were providing a service at the agreed rates.
There is no provision for payments or refunds to patients under the dental benefit scheme. The fee which is payable to dentists by patients is the net amount taking account of the Department contribution which is to be subsequently recouped by the dentist. In the course of the dispute some dentists charged fees which were considerably in excess of the agreed levels.
This was in clear breach of their contract and there could be no question of the Department contribution being paid to dentists who acted in that way. The position in this regard was made clear at the outset, as was the fact that the Department could not make refunds directly to patients in these circumstances.
Detailed proposals aimed at ending the dispute have been worked out in negotiations over the past two weeks. The Irish Dental Association has put the proposals to their members in a postal ballot, the results of which are expected next week. Expenditure under this scheme is met from the social insurance fund which is financed by employer and employee contributions. The only expenditure or dental benefit which is properly due to be met by the fund is expenditure due on foot of treatments properly carried out under the terms of this contract with dentists. It is not possible to estimate this amount which, had the dispute not taken place, would have been paid to the dentists concerned. However, expenditure on dental benefit in 2002 amounted to €35.1 million compared to €35 million in 2001. Payments to dentists who have provided treatments to patients within the terms of their contracts are up to date and no money properly due has been withheld from dentists.