Mary Flaherty
Ceist:113 Miss Flaherty asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his attention had been drawn to the fact that many dentists are charging for services previously available to insured workers.
Written Answers. - Dental Charges.
A number of dentists on my Department's panel have confirmed that they are refusing to provide certain items of treatment under the social insurance dental benefit scheme. The treatments involved are dentures, extractions and root canal treatment.
This action on the part of the dentists is a result of the Irish Dental Association's objections to the extension of the scheme to dependent spouses of insured persons in 1987, and its dissatisfaction with the fees paid to dentists under the scheme.
I recently met representatives of the association to establish if there is a basis on which the present difficulties can be overcome. It was agreed at that meeting that further discussions would take place at official level. I am hopeful that proposals for an early resolution of the present difficulties will emerge from these discussions.
To date, a total of 59,001 claims have been received from dependent spouses and 231 dentists have signed agreements to provide services under the extended scheme.