Vol. 455 No. 3
54 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Health the arrangements, if any, which will be made to cater for those who are up to three years on the waiting list for dental treatment in view of the fact that the dental scheme is being reorganised; and the effect this will have on medical card holders. [12024/95]
Limerick East): Under the dental treatment services scheme which was introduced by my Department on 1 November 1994 dental treatment will be extended to all adults with medical card eligibility on a phased basis. 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 available under the dental treatment services scheme 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.
I propose to extend routine dental treatment under the scheme to an additional group of adult medical card holders before the end of this year.
All health boards also 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.
