Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 2 Dec 2003

Vol. 576 No. 1

Written Answers. - Orthodontic Service.

John Cregan

Ceist:

260 Mr. Cregan asked the Minister for Health and Children if money has been made available to the national treatment purchase fund for orthodontic treatment; if so, the amount; when this money was allocated; the criteria for receiving this treatment; and if not, if money can be now made available to relieve the waiting list for orthodontic treatment. [29260/03]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

As the Deputy is aware, the provision of orthodontic treatment services is the responsibility of the health boards or the Eastern Regional Health Authority in the first instance.

In June 2002 my Department provided additional funding of €5 million from the treatment purchase fund towards the treatment of persons on the orthodontic waiting lists. My Department instructed the health boards or authority that the funding was to be allocated on the basis of the following principles: treatment of clients longest on the waiting list in accordance with the severity of their treatment need; allocation to provide additional treatments over and above what was provided in the normal way; efficiency and value for money; and equitable delivery across health board populations.

I am pleased to advise the Deputy that I have taken a number of measures to improve orthodontic services on a national basis. The grade of specialist in orthodontics has been created in the health board orthodontic service. This year my Department and the health boards are funding 13 dentists from different health boards for specialist in orthodontics qualifications at training programmes in Ireland and at three separate universities in the United Kingdom. These 13 trainees for the public orthodontic service are additional to the six dentists who commenced their training in 2001. Thus, there is an aggregate of 19 public service dentists currently in training for specialist in orthodontics qualifications. These measures will complement the other structural changes being introduced into the orthodontic service, including the creation of an auxiliary grade of orthodontic therapist to work in the orthodontic area.

Furthermore, the commitment of the Department to training development is manifested in the funding provided to both the training of specialist clinical staff and the recruitment of a professor in orthodontics for the Cork Dental School. This appointment at the school will facilitate the development of an approved training programme leading to specialist qualification in orthodontics. In recognition of the importance of this post at the Cork Dental School, my Department has given approval in principle to a proposal from the school to further substantially improve the training facilities there for orthodontics. This project should see the construction of a large orthodontic unit and support facilities. It will ultimately support an enhanced teaching and treatment service to the wider region under the leadership of the professor of orthodontics.

The chief executive officers of the health boards or authority have informed me that at the end of the September quarter 2003 there were 20,784 children receiving orthodontic treatment in the public orthodontic service. This compares with 20,151 children receiving treatment at the end of December 2002. I expect that the number of children getting orthodontic treatment from the health boards or authority will continue to increase over time as the measures that I have put in place take effect.