Vol. 546 No. 4
91 Mr. Aylward asked the Minister for Health and Children if, further to Parliamentary No. 259 of 4 December 2001, he will indicate his plans regarding dental treatment made available in the South-Eastern Health Board area to persons with disability where the facilities are available but no service is provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32012/01]
The provision of dental treatment to patients with special needs is the responsibility of the health boards in the first instance. The chief executive officer of the South-Eastern Health Board has informed me that the board provides dental treatment to children with special needs. Furthermore children requiring dental treatment under general anaesthetic are treated at some of the board's general hospitals. It is the policy of the health board to refer patients who are medically compromised and who need more complex restorative care to a tertiary care dental centre in University College Hospital Cork. This is to ensure the welfare and safety of these patients.
