Long dental waiting lists for children must be tackled
Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Smith has called for further funding to reduce waiting lists times for children’s dental services in Cavan and Monaghan.
Deputy Smith said: “Unfortunately, we come across daily unacceptable delays in children getting dental treatment. Children should be screened in second, fourth and sixth classes. In Cavan at present, the children who are in the programme for sixth class have gone to second level before they have seen a dentist. It is a shortage of personnel. The local personnel are working extremely hard but they do not have the resources to give the service that children in Cavan-Monaghan need.”
Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, in response, said children had been waiting too long, especially post-Covid. But he said an additional €17 million in one-off funding had been invested since the formation of the government in 2020 to tackle these waiting lists.
“I fully acknowledge that we need to do more," he said. "In the budget, I have allocated €4 million in full-year funding, including €2 million next year, to continue the implementation of the national oral health policy. This investment is going to provide an additional 15 dental staff across dentists and dental nurses to deliver the oral healthcare in our community and support children to access the current primary school programme of routine check-ups. The investment will also initiate delivery of a three-year implementation plan for the policy.”
Minister Donnelly added that Deputy Smith had previously raised orthodontics and the need for more investment there and that supports that have been put in place over recent years are now yielding results.
“Last year we transferred more than 2,000 children nationally to private care, so they got care quicker," Minister Donnelly said. "From the Deputy's own constituency of Cavan-Monaghan, 128 children were transferred to this care."
Deputy Smith also highlighted the need for multidisciplinary teams for the safe delivery of dental services for children with disabilities and other complex additional needs.
“At times it necessitates admission to a day ward or paediatric ward in hospital and those children at times will get comprehensive dental care under general anaesthetic," the Cavan Monaghan TD said. "We need to prioritise the delivery of services for such children. In my own area, we need a principal dental surgeon with a special needs role in particular.”
Minister Donnelly in response told Deputy Smith that all children should be able to get the services, but particularly those who may not be able to articulate those needs as well as some other children. He added that he is determined to improve the situation.