Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 July 2022
529. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on progress around addressing the significant issues facing the dental treatment service scheme; and his views on when the issue is expected to be resolved. [38359/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) provides dental care free of charge to medical card holders aged 16 and over. Both I and the Government have been concerned for some time that medical card patients in some parts of the country have been experiencing problems in accessing dental services. The problem became particularly acute over the last couple of years as a significant number of contracted dentists chose to opt out of the DTSS. To help address this issue, I secured an additional €10 million in Budget 2022 to provide for expanded dental health care for medical card holders including the reintroduction of Scale and Polish and an enhanced oral health examination.
I am also using an estimated €16 million of an underspend in this year’s estimate allocation (€56 million) to award fee increases across a number of items including fillings.
The combination of these two measures represents an estimated total additional investment of €26 million in the Scheme this year over and above what was spent on the Scheme in 2021, €40 million.Following consultation with the Irish Dental Association, these new measures came into effect on 1st May. I hope that this substantial additional investment attracts more dentists to treat medical card patients.
These measures are designed to address immediate concerns with the Scheme, pending a more substantive reform of dental services to align with the National Oral Health Policy. The HSE will assist anyone still experiencing problems accessing a service under the Scheme.
I understand that contractors are looking for more substantive reform of the Scheme. It is my intention that this is addressed in the context of the implementation of the National Oral Health Policy, which sets out a body of substantial services reform.
Work is underway to design a governance framework to oversee and facilitate root and branch service reform. The Chief Dental Officer in my Department is already engaging with stakeholders on such reform and I understand that she will shortly be meeting with the Irish Dental Association.
