Vol. 513 No. 6
305 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason for the delay in arranging an appointment for a person (details supplied) in County Carlow who needs a brace for her teeth; the number of people waiting; and the reason for the delay. [3289/00]
As the provision of orthodontic treatment to eligible persons in County Carlow is the statutory responsibility of the South Eastern Health Board I have asked the chief executive officer of the South Eastern Health Board to investigate the position in relation to this case and to reply to the Deputy directly as a matter of urgency.
I presume the Deputy is referring to the orthodontic waiting lists in the Carlow area. According to the Board there were 190 children in the Carlow-Kilkenny community care area on the waiting list for orthodontic assessment on 31 December 1999. There was a total of 634 children on the waiting list for orthodontic treatment in the South Eastern Health Board region as at 31 December 1999. The treatment waiting list is centralised at Waterford Regional Hospital. Having a centralised waiting list for the whole board has enabled patients from all over the region to be treated in chronological order resulting in no one county falling significantly behind another in regard to patients being treated. A total of 202 children from the Carlow-Kilkenny area were undergoing orthodontic treatment as at 31 December 1999.
