5,000 primary school children in Louth have no access to regular dental checkups- Munster

5,000 primary school children in Louth have no access to regular dental checkups according to Louth Sinn Fein TD Imelda Munster.

Addressing Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly in the Dail on Wednesday she raised what she said was the “collapse of the dental treatment service scheme, DTSS.”

She said:

“Hundreds of thousands of medical card holders the length and breadth of the State have no access to dental care. 

“People with existing serious illnesses and deteriorating dental conditions are being denied access to care. 

“On top of that, 5,000 primary school children in County Louth and 6,000 primary school children in County Meath have no access to regular checkups. We are now into the third year of this. 

“How long does it take to reform the scheme? It is a scheme that should never been allowed to collapse in the first instance. 

“People are now of the opinion that the Government is content to deprive people with medical cards access to dental care. 

“I can only assume the same now that we are in the third year of this crisis. If that is not the case, given that we are into the third year of this, can the Minister tell us when people with medical cards can access the dental care to which they are entitled?"

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In response Minister  Stephen Donnelly refuted allegations that the government was not taking the issue seriously.

He said:

“An additional €15 million was put in place this year in the budget to address the DTSS and the backlogs for orthodontics and the school programme which, as we all appreciate, was delayed because of Covid. 

“In this House, we talk a lot about what the Government needs to do to get dentists to sign up to the DTSS. Dentists are choosing to leave the DTSS because they make more money treating patients privately.

He continued:

“One of her colleagues gave an example the last time we had a debate on this of a case where a dentist refused to treat a patient under the DTSS, but took the patient back when they were in agony and willing to pay privately. 

“I do not believe that is acceptable. The Government has a role, but dentists should sign up to the scheme and should provide treatment to people with medical cards.”