Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 7 Feb 1995

Vol. 448 No. 6

Written Answers. - Dental Treatment.

Mary Harney

Ceist:

82 Miss Harney asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the hardship caused by the Eastern Health Board's decision to grant routine dental treatment to medical card holders over the age of 65; if he intends to allocate extra funds to the health boards to allow them give necessary dental treatment to all medical card holders irrespective of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2619/95]

Minister for Health (Mr. Noonan,

Limerick East): Under the new dental treatment services scheme which was introduced by my Department on 1 November 1994, dental treatment for all adults with medical card eligibility will be phased in over a four year period.

In the initial phasing of the scheme persons aged 65 years and over have been identified as a priority group and additional resources have been made available to health boards to enable them to provide treatment for this group.

However, where their existing resources allow, health boards are continuing to provide routine dental treatment to adults who have not yet reached 65 years. I understand from the Eastern Health Board that while the waiting list for persons under 65 years is closed at present the board will be calling people from the existing waiting list when those over 65 years have been dealt with.

Persons who are medically compromised are given priority irrespective of age on production of a letter from a general medical practitioner.