asked the Minister for Health (i) the number of applicants for dental treatment under the medical card scheme in each county of the Western Health Board for the past five years; (ii) the number of applicants who received dental treatment under that scheme in each of those years; and (iii) the number of children under 16 years who were treated in County Mayo in 1978 and the number outstanding to date.
Written Answers. - Dental Treatment.
156.
The information requested by the Deputy is set out below:
1. Dental Treatment Service — Adults & Adolescents.
|
GALWAY |
MAYO |
ROSCOMMON |
||||
|
Treatments |
Treatments |
Treatments |
||||
|
Applicants |
Completed |
Applicants |
Completed |
Applicants |
Completed |
|
|
1974 |
3,825 |
1,598 |
1,779 |
947 |
2,709 |
1,667 |
|
1975 |
3,976 |
2,869 |
1,576 |
831 |
3,123 |
3,259 |
|
1976 |
3,853 |
2,957 |
1,729 |
781 |
3,758 |
1,442 |
|
1977 |
3,947 |
3,361 |
1,757 |
1,012 |
4,826 |
2,242 |
|
1978 |
4,033 |
2,798 |
1,553 |
545 |
5,123 |
2,472 |
The above figures relate to dental services provided to medical card holders or their dependants as part of the adolescent and adult treatment services. They do not include services provided for children under the child health services. Some of the latter children are dependants of medical card holders but separate statistics are not maintained to identify such children.
2. Children Under 16
In relation to part (iii) of the question it is estimated that 16,600 national school pupils were treated in Mayo in 1978. I am advised by the Western Health Board that none of the pupils who were examined in 1978 is awaiting treatment. Children under 16 who are dependants of medical card holders and who have left the national school system are treated under the adolescent and adult services and as such are included in the treatment figures quoted in part (1) of the reply. Separate records are not maintained which would enable the Board to say how many children under 16 are included in these figures.