asked the Minister for Health if he is aware that there is a very long waiting list for school children who require dental braces to be fitted; and that as a result many of these children will not be able to avail themselves of this service; and what measures can be taken to rectify this matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - School Dental Service.
3.
Presumably the Deputy is referring to school children who have been recommended for orthodontic treatment under the school dental service. As I have already explained in reply to a recent question, in most areas this specialised form of treatment is available only from the Dublin Dental Hospital. However, some health authorities have been able to make arrangements with private orthodontists to provide local sessions for children in their areas and the Local Appointments Commissioners will advertise, soon, the post of wholetime orthodontist for the Dublin area, the area in which I assume the Deputy is particularly interested.
4.
asked the Minister for Health if he is satisfied that the present school dental service is adequate; and, if not, what proposals he has for improving the service.
I am aware that the school dental service, at present, is not adequate to provide comprehensive dental treatment for all pupils of national schools found to be in need of such treatment following school health examination. Dental services for these children are provided mainly by wholetime dental officers employed by health authorities. In recent years, a special effort has been made, by means of more attractive salaries and conditions of appointment, to recruit additional wholetime dental officers and this has resulted in an appreciable improvement in the overall staffing position. Continued efforts will be made to increase the staffing of the school dental service to a reasonable level. In the course of the present week the Local Appointments Commissioners are advertising a further 29 posts of permanent dental officer on terms of remuneration which, so far as I am aware, compare favourably with those of similar posts in neighbouring countries.