Vol. 546 No. 3
232 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Dublin Dental school has only a capacity to train 12 orthodontists in every three year period; if there are any plans to increase this capacity; if not, the reason therefor; the reasons capacity is not at its maximum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31784/01]
The Dental Council established and maintains a Register of Dental Specialists in Orthodontics in exercise of its powers under the Dentists Act, 1985. In this context, it has recognised the Irish Committee for Specialist Training in Dentistry as a body within the State to advise it on the granting of evidence of satisfactory completion of specialist training. This committee fulfils its role through its Specialist Advisory Committee, SAC, in orthodontics.
Prior to the establishment of this register of dental specialists, specialist training in Ireland was approved by the SAC of the UK based Joint Committee for Specialist Training in Dentistry. This committee is representative of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and Great Britain. In 1999, the SAC approved the provision of 12 places for trainees involved in the specialist dentist in orthodontics training programme of the Dublin Dental School and Hospital.
Six dentists from the Eastern Regional Health Authority, North-Eastern Health Board and South-Eastern Health Board commenced their training in October last for specialist dentist in orthodontics qualifications. In addition, my Department has funded the appointment of a director of specialist training for the Irish Committee for Specialist Training in Dentistry through the Postgraduate Medical and Dental Board. The director has taken up duty; he is currently liaising with the two dental schools in Dublin and Cork and the consultant orthodontists of the regional orthodontic units in the health boards on the provision conjointly of specialist training programmes in 2002. In this regard, the Dublin Dental School and Hospital intends providing specialist training in orthodontics for an additional six trainees from the health boards in 2002, subject to the requirements laid down by the Specialist Advisory Committee on orthodontic consultant staffing.
Three dentists from the Western Health Board and North-Eastern Health Board are already in specialist training for orthodontics and this brings the total number of dentists in such training for these health boards to nine.
My Department has also funded the recruitment of a professor in orthodontics at Cork University Dental School to facilitate the development of an approved training programme leading to specialist qualifications in orthodontics. Applications for the post were invited when it was advertised on 19 October last. Capital funding of approximately £1 million, 1.27 million, was also provided to the orthodontics unit there for its refurbishment to an appropriate standard.
233 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Health and Children the salary on offer for the position of consultant orthodontist in a health board; the way in which this salary compares with other countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31785/01]
The current salary for a consultant orthodontist in a health board is £102,414, 130,038.96, with effect from 1 October 2001. The only information available to this Department on the pay of consultants in this field internationally relates to the United Kingdom; the salary scale there is from £50,810 stg. to a ceiling of £87,280 stg. effective from 1 April 2001.
234 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Health and Children the amount of funding which is provided to the Dublin Dental School and Hospital for the training of orthodontists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31786/01]
The funding of the Dental School and Hospital is provided by the Department of Education and Science in respect of direct education costs associated with the teaching and training of undergraduate dental students, postgraduate students undertaking higher degrees by research, postgraduate students undertaking specialist training courses, dental auxiliaries, including dental hygiene, dental technology and dental nursing, those undertaking higher training to consultant level and the provision of continuing education courses for dentists and auxiliary dental staff.
All other costs of funding the Dental School and Hospital over and above the direct education costs are shared equally between the Department of Education and Science and my Department.
Through the Eastern Regional Health Authority, ERHA, the total funding provided by my Department to the Dental School and Hospital in 2001 was approximately £3.15 million, 3.99 million, and includes the costs associated with any teaching of orthodontics to the categories mentioned above who are trained in the dental school.
In October this year, six dentists from the Eastern Regional Health Authority, the North-Eastern Health Board and the South-Eastern Health Board commenced their training at the Dublin Dental School and Hospital for Specialist Dentist in Orthodontics qualifications. I have made available an additional £0.426 million, 0.541 million, in 2002 for this collaborative training programme between the three boards and the Dental School and Hospital.
