Vol. 573 No. 2
143 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Health and Children the policy justifications for denying optical and dental benefits to a parent if his or her child goes to a private primary school instead of a State national primary school. [24685/03]
The statutory background governing the entitlement of children to dental and ophthalmic treatment under the health board service is section 67 of the Health Act 1970. Under this section, the children eligible for health board dental and ophthalmic services are pre-school and national school children in respect of defects noted at child health examinations. Child health examinations are provided by health boards for children attending national school in accordance with section 66 of the Health Act 1970.
There is provision under section 66(3) for a health board, at its discretion, to provide child health examinations for children attending a school that is not a national school. Such discretion may be applied once the governing body of the school so requests. Thus, on receipt of an application under section 66(3), the chief executive officer of a health board-authority may discharge the statutory provisions of that section.
