Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 6 Feb 1996

Vol. 461 No. 1

Written Answers - Dental Treatment Statistics.

Rory O'Hanlon

Ceist:

96 Dr. O'Hanlon asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on the waiting list in the North Eastern Health Board area under the dental treatment services scheme aged under 65 years of age; and the number over 65 years of age. [2604/96]

Minister for Health (Mr. Noonan,

Limerick East): In the initial phase of the dental treatment services scheme emergency dental treatment for the relief of pain is made available to all adults with medical card entitlement and there is no waiting list for emergency dental treatment.

Also in the initial phase of the scheme routine dental treatment and priority full denture treatment is made available to persons 65 years of age or older with medical card entitlement. The North Eastern Health Board has informed me that there is no waiting list for treatment for people in this category. A total of 99 people aged 65 years and over have been offered treatment by the board but have yet to take up the offer.

Routine dental treatment and full denture treatment is not yet available under the scheme to adults under 65 years of age. Accordingly waiting lists for this group are not yet maintained under the scheme. However, I am informed by the North Eastern Health Board that over 9,000 persons aged under 65 years are on waiting lists for routine treatment with over 850 persons waiting for dentures. These lists have not been validated.

On 1 April next, I will introduce the second phase of the dental treatment services scheme. Under the second phase routine dental treatment will be extended to persons with medical card entitlement in the 16-34 year age group and full denture treatment will now be extended to all edentulous persons with medical card entitlement.