Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 21 Feb 1995

Vol. 449 No. 4

Written Answers - Dental Treatment.

Eric J. Byrne

Ceist:

77 Mr. E. Byrne asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) in County Cork has been told by the dental section, St. Finbarr's Hospital, Cork, that her son cannot be seen by the hospital until he is in sixth class; the reason this person was told by St. Finbarr's dental section that they did not have enough funding to treat her child in view of the fact that he is in third class and under the new scheme is entitled to treatment; when this person will be seen in view of the fact that he is in need of orthodontic treatment and has been told he needs a gum guard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3644/95]

Minister for Health (Mr. Noonan,

Limerick East): The provision of orthodontic treatment to eligible persons in County Cork is the responsibility of the Southern Health Board in the first instance and I have referred this case to the chief executive officer of the Southern Health Board for his immediate attention and direct reply to the Deputy.

Pat Gallagher

Ceist:

78 Mr. P. Gallagher (Laoighis-Offaly) asked the Minister for Health the dental services that are available to medical card holders under 65 years of age; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that medical card holders under 65 years of age who had applied for denture treatments prior to November 1994, and who were on waiting lists have been told that no service can be provided to them; the action, if any, he will take to remedy the problem; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3677/95]

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 dental treatment including denture treatment for this group. Emergency dental treatment for the relief of pain is, of course, available to all medical card holders irrespective of age. However, where their existing resources allow, health boards will continue to provide routine dental treatment to adults who have not yet reached 65 years.

It is my intention to extend routine dental treatment under the scheme to an additional cohort of adults later this year if the initial phase progresses satisfactorily.All health boards operate a priority waiting list for dental treatment for medically compromised persons who are given priority irrespective of age on production of a letter from their general medical practitioner.