Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 2 Apr 1996

Vol. 463 No. 6

Written Answers. - Orthodontic Child Treatment Numbers.

Noel Ahern

Ceist:

127 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Health the number of new child patients who commenced orthodontic treatment in each of the last five years with the Eastern Health Board; the number of orthodontic dental surgeons recruited by the Eastern Health Board or approved for recruitment by his Department in the same five year period in view of the fact that the Eastern Health Board seem unable to retain these staff and their frequent promises of making inroads into the waiting list have not been achieved. [7099/96]

Minister for Health (Mr. Noonan,

Limerick East): The provision of orthodontic treatment services in the Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow region is the statutory responsibility of the Eastern Health Board.

I understand from the board that the number of children who commenced orthodontic treatment in each of the last five years was as follows: 1991, 588; 1992, 474; 1993, 606; 1994, 803; 1995, 1,015.

My Department and the Eastern Health Board have agreed a framework for the development of orthodontic services in the region. This agreed framework provides for the following:

—The recruitment of two consultant orthodontists with appropriate dental support staff. The consultant posts were advertised by the Local Appointments Commission and the board expects that one of these posts will be filled inthe near future.

—The recruitment of eight orthodontists to be based in community care areas. During 1995 the Eastern Health Board increased the number employed by the board from two to five whole time orthodontists. Pending the employment of the full eight orthodontists the board purchases additional sessions from seven private orthodontists equivalent to two full-time orthodontists.

—The provision of hospital based units for the consultant orthodontists at St. James's and Beaumont Hospitals.

The board has experienced difficulty in recruiting trained orthodontic staff because it has to compete with the high level of income which orthodontists can generate in private practice. To minimise the effect of this the board has arranged orthodontic training at the Dublin dental hospital for its own staff.