asked the Minister for Health if he is satisfied with the present school dental health service; and what plans, if any, his Department have for improving these services.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - School Dental Service.
5.
I am aware that the school dental service, at its present stage of development, is not adequate to provide comprehensive dental treatment for all eligible children. The operation of this service depends mainly on whole-time dental officers employed by health boards. I am pleased to say that recruitment of this class of officer has improved considerably in recent years due, no doubt, mainly to improved remuneration and conditions of employment, which now compare favourably with those applicable to similar posts in neighbouring countries.
My Department will continue to encourage health boards to create further dental posts where needed and to provide improved or additional clinic facilities where required. In the current financial year additional funds are being provided for the improvement of the school dental service.
When does the Minister think the school dental service will be adequate and what will the cost be of providing an adequate service?
I have not got the figures. We increased the complement of fulltime dental officers from 98 to 141 in four years. There are 30 vacancies for which competitions are being held and I understand the response has been generally fairly good.
Do I understand that it will take another four years to bring the service up to a satisfactory level?
I cannot say that.
Does the Minister know when——
I am not prepared to state it.
Surely the House is entitled to know——
The House is not entitled to know when the dental service will be——
We are entitled to know.
6.
asked the Minister for Health the number of schoolchildren at present awaiting orthodontic treatment in the Eastern Health Board region; and if he is satisfied that the present orthodontic services are adequate.
The provision of orthodontic treatment for children, referred from the school dental service in the area of the Eastern Health Board, is the responsibility of the board. I understand that there are about 1,200 such children at present awaiting orthodontic treatment.
Due to the scarcity of qualified personnel available to provide this specialised type of treatment, it has not been possible for the board to provide an orthodontic service for all eligible children. The board are, however, continuing their efforts to improve this service.
Does the Minister realise the importance of orthodontic treatment for children? He has said there are 1,200 children waiting for treatment and does he not agree that threequarters of them will not have received treatment because they will be too old when their turn comes?
The post of a whole-time orthodontist has been advertised. The salary and conditions have been improved on two occasions in the last three years and we are now seeing if we can increase them still further. Apparently orthodontists are fairly scarce and difficult to find.
Question No. 7.
This is very important.
The Deputy cannot monopolise the whole of Question Time. We have to get on with questions.
I want to ask the Minister if he will have consultations with the dental school about providing orthodontists?
We have discussed it with everybody who is expert on the subject.
In view of the Minister's unsatisfactory reply I wish to give notice that I intend to raise the subject matter of this question on the Adjournment.
I will communicate with the Deputy.