Jim Higgins
Ceist:8 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason there is no postgraduate training and education for orthodontic staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10184/98]
Written Answers. - Orthodontic Training.
: The provision of formal postgraduate training and education programmes up to recently was a matter for dental schools in conjunction with the joint Committee for Specialist Training in Dentistry and the Royal Colleges of the United Kingdom and Ireland. On 14 April 1998 the European Primary and Specialist Dental Qualification Regulations came into force in the United Kingdom. These regulations give recognition to the European specialties for oral surgery and othodontics and also give power to the General Dental Council to make regulations creating other domestic specialties. In Ireland similar powers were given in the Dentists Act, 1985, to the Dental Council.
Because of the traditionally close links between the Irish and British postgraduate dental education systems, the Dental Council has written to me requesting consent to establish a register of dental specialists with a division of ten different specialities including orthodontics and oral surgery which are the two specialties recognised in EU directives.
The council propose to recognise, for the purposes of specialist registration, courses of training and qualifications in specialised dentistry provided by the National University of Ireland, Cork, the University of Dublin and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Section 37 of the Dentists Act requires the council to determine from time to time the body or bodies within the State which it will recognise for the purpose of granting evidence of satisfactory completion of specialist training. The Dental Council has invited the Committee for Higher Training in Dentistry to undertake this function.
I have written to the council seeking further information regarding the implications of the specialist register and the proposed structures for granting evidence of satisfactory completion of specialist training. When I am satisfied that the proposed arrangements meet necessary legal and accountability requirements I will give my consent to the Dental Council to establish a register of dental specialists and approve training programmes.
The orthodontic review group, a group set up by the health boards at the suggestion of my Department, has examined issues in relation to training in orthodontics and will include recommendations in its report. This group, which includes health board consultant orthodontists, is due to report to the chief executive officers of the health boards in the near future. A number of health board dentists are currently undergoing postgraduate training in orthodontics through UK based dental schools. However, it is important that the postgraduate needs of our public dental services in orthodontics and other disciplines under the health strategy and the dental health action plan should, as far as possible, be met from our own dental schools in Dublin and in Cork.
Therefore I have requested the chief dental officer to have discussions with the dental schools in Dublin and Cork and the Joint Committee for Specialist Training in Dentistry and agree a training programme for health board dentists working in the regional orthodontic units.