Under section 67 of the Health Act 1970, the children eligible for health board dental 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 to children attending national school in accordance with section 66 of the Act. There is provision under section 66(3) for a health board, at its discretion, to provide child health examinations to children attending a school that is not a national school. Such discretion may be applied once the governing body of the school so requests.
The Health (Amendment) Act 1994 amended the Health Act 1970. The regulations made under this Act — the Health (Dental Services for Children) Regulations, 2000 — extended eligibility for free primary dental care to children up to their sixteenth birthday, who have attended a national school or a school standing specified in an order under section 66(3) of the Health Act 1970. As part of the implementation process for the national health strategy, a review of all existing eligibility legislation is being undertaken in my Department. Arising from this review, legislation will be drafted to clarify and simplify eligibility and entitlements to health services in line with the goals and objectives set out in the strategy.