Vol. 463 No. 3
121 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be called for dental treatment, in view of the fact that the delay was caused by the health board not recruiting the appropriate staff. [6265/96]
Limerick East): The provision of dental treatment to eligible persons in County Mayo is the statutory responsibility of the Western Health Board. I have been advised by the board of the persistent difficulties which the board has had in attempting to recruit professional dental staff for the Belmullet area. Unfortunately, therefore, the board has not always been in a position to provide a full dental service for all national school children in the area.
The board has now been successful in recruiting a dentist for the Belmullet area and is accordingly developing the children's dental services for the area. The board's first priority is to provide a full dental service for children at present at national school. However, I have asked the board to examine the case mentioned by the Deputy to see whether it might be possible to provide treatment.
