asked the Minister for Health the reason dental treatment will not be provided for a person (details supplied) in County Cork as she has a medical card; and if he will take the necessary steps to have treatment provided for her as a matter of urgency.
Written Answers. - Dental Treatment.
465.
Health boards provide dental treatment for eligible persons through their own full-time salaried dental officers and by way of the ad hoc dental scheme under which adult patients may be authorised to receive treatment from private dentists who enter into agreements with the boards to treat eligible patients on a fee per item of service basis. It is a matter for each board to decide the extent of the funds to be devoted to the ad hoc scheme from its overall financial allocation for each year.
The Southern Health Board decided that because of limited resources it would allocate no funds to the ad hoc scheme this year. As a result, treatment for eligible persons is available only from the board's own dental staff. Because of pressure on this service the board have found it necessary to provide treatment on a priority basis. The priority groups consist of pre-school and national school children, the aged, the handicapped and expectant and nursing mothers. These arrangements mean that eligible persons who are not in the priority groups may experience delays in obtaining treatment, but the board does provide an emergency service for persons who are experiencing pain.
The board have advised that the name of the person to whom this question refers was placed on the waiting list for dental treatment in September 1983, but due to the extent of the list it is unable to say when treatment will commence.