Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 20 Jun 2000

Vol. 521 No. 4

Written Answers. - Orthodontic Service.

John McGuinness

Ceist:

179 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Health and Children if the guidelines for dental treatment will be extended to cover the provision of braces; the progress being made to reduce the waiting lists for such treatment within the South Eastern Health Board area; the length of time patients are expected to wait for treatment; and if he will make a statement on the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny who was refused full treatment and braces. [17562/00]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

The provision of orthodontic treatment in County Kilkenny is the statutory responsibility of the South Eastern Health Board. I have asked the chief executive officer of that board to investigate the position in relation to the case referred to and reply directly to the Deputy as a matter of urgency.

Orthodontic services are being developed in accordance with the dental health action plan. The plan provides for the development by each health board of a comprehensive orthodontic service under the overall direction and supervision of a consultant orthodontist. The guidelines, which were issued by my Department in 1985, allow for the provision of fixed appliances – braces – where deemed necessary by the attending orthodontist. Currently, the waiting time for orthodontic treatment in the South Eastern Health Board area is 20 months.

This year I am making an additional £100,000 available to the South Eastern Health Board on an ongoing basis for the further development of their orthodontic services.

The orthodontic services were the subject of a comprehensive review by a group representative of health board management and the consultant orthodontists. This group furnished its report, the Moran report, to the chief executive officers of the health boards. There have been discussions between my Department and representatives of the chief executive officers on the report and its implications. Some interested parties have also commented on the report.

Many of the proposals in the report are being implemented as part of the dental health action plan while the implications of others are still being teased out with the health boards and other interests. My Department will give a full response to the chief executive officers on all aspects of the report shortly. In addition, I have also recently asked health boards to submit proposals to me as to how waiting lists and waiting times for orthodontic treatment in their areas might be further reduced.