Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 May 2019
132. Deputy Stephen Donnelly asked the Minister for Health his views of claims by an organisation (details supplied) that the funding being proposed for the new oral health policy is completely inadequate. [21328/19]
View answerSmile agus Sláinte, the new National Oral Health Policy provides the groundwork to transform oral health services over the next eight years.
The ESRI worked with my Department to provide indicative costings for the delivery of various interventions under the proposed packages of care for children and adult medical holders and it is estimated that the cost of implementing the packages in full would be in the region of €80m.
The roll-out of these packages will take place incrementally over the next number of years. The detail of the packages and the resource requirements will be agreed as part of the implementation process. The progressing of any measures with resource implications, contained in Smile agus Sláinte, will be dependent on the outcome of the normal budgetary process in any given year.
A key priority of mine for 2020 is the introduction of packages of care for children under 6 years of age and I will be seeking funding for this under the Estimates 2020 process.
