asked the Minister for Industry, Trade, Commerce and Tourism if he accepts the recommendations of the Restrictive Practices Commission report of inquiry into the statutory restrictions on the provision of Dental Prostheses, 1982 section 622; and if not, the supplementary evidence he has received allowing him to reject the Restrictive Practices Commission's recommendations.
Written Answers. - Supply of Dentures.
435.
The Restrictive Practices Commission's report which was published last year contained two alternative courses of action in relation to the statutory restrictions on the provision of dental prostheses. Since either alternative would have entailed amending the Dentists Act, 1928, the matter fell to be dealt with by the Minister for Health.
The Dentists Bill, 1984, which has now passed Committee Stage in Seanad Eireann provides that a Dental Council (to be established by the legislation) may with the consent of the Minister for Health make schemes for the establishment of classes of auxiliary dental workers. This is in line with the second alternative contained in the RPC Report (paragraph 6.20) that the general prohibition on the carrying on of dentistry by a non-dentist should not apply to the provision of dentures by a denturist, a denturist for this purpose being the holder of qualifications recognised by the Minister for Health.