Vol. 394 No. 4
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties being experienced by many wives of insured workers in finding a dentist to treat them under the extension of the treatment scheme introduced by him; and the proposals he has to deal with these problems.
27.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will outline the latest position regarding the dispute with some members of the Irish Dental Association, the action he is taking to ensure that the spouses of insured workers receive treatment to which they are entitled and that those who are paying PRSI contributions receive all types of treatment for which they are eligible; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
38.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the percentage of dentists in Dublin South who are treating spouses of insured workers under the special scheme.
156.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the percentage of dentists countrywide who are meeting the needs of spouses of insured workers under the special scheme.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 18, 27, 38 and 156 together.
The number of active dentists on my Department's dental panel at present is approximately 670, of whom 222 (33 per cent) have signed agreements covering dependent spouses of insured persons.
It is important for Deputies to note that admission to my Department's panel is open to all qualified registered dentists. The number of dentists on this panel in any given area does not necessarily reflect the numbers required to meet the needs of claimants under the dental benefit scheme. Although some dependent spouses may have to travel outside their immediate area to obtain treatment, the overall number of dentists treating this category is considerable and provides a service in most parts of the country. The scheme is operating well and to date, 54,200 dependent spouses, mainly women working in the home, have applied to my Department for approval of treatment.
From the outset, I arranged to have details of dentists who have signed agreements covering dependent spouses made available at local offices of my Department. Any person who requires dental treatment can obtain details of their nearest participating dentists from these offices or by telephoning my Department.
Some dentists are refusing to provide certain items of treatment under the scheme and their situation is under review. I would prefer to see a resolution of the dispute in the context of the Irish Dental Association agreeing to full participation in the extended scheme. I recently wrote to the president of the association reiterating my willingness to discuss new proposals and inviting the association to meet me to establish if there is a basis on which we can overcome the present difficulties.
In the meantime, however, I would again advise patients who are being asked to pay inappropriate fees, to refuse to pay them and to report the matter to my Department.
Is it not a fact that this is a very patchy scheme with limited services available to people? Is it not another example of the Minister's announcement of schemes without adequate arrangement with the bodies involved?
No, it is not. I thought the Deputy would have noted that there are now 220 dentists who have signed to operate the extended scheme. A relatively short time ago when there was last a question on this issue, there were 150 dentists, so the number of dentists operating the extended scheme is growing all the time. Two extra dentists came in in the last couple of days. Dentists are coming on to the scheme continuously.
Would the Minister not agree that those figures are very low, only a third of the 670 dentists. That means quite a substantial number of people requiring dental services having to search out the correct dentist. On the one hand, I would like to congratulate the Minister for taking on the vested interests in the dental profession. At the same time, I have to argue that he cannot stand up here today——
This is not the time for argument, Deputy. I want brief questions. The time for questions is running out fast.
——and say that the scheme is working well. Would the Minister not agree that the scheme is not working well and that PRSI workers and their spouses are at a disadvantage by virtue of the fact that the Minister has not arrived at a satisfactory agreement with the Irish Dental Association?
As I said in my reply, 54,200 dependent spouses have already applied under the scheme. My Department estimated at the outset that 150 dentists would be sufficient to deal with the extended scheme if they were properly distributed. We have 220 dentists who have signed the agreement to operate the scheme. The problem, however, is one of distribution of dentists. I have written to the president of the association inviting him to meet with me for further discussions with a view to finally settling this matter.
