With Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael set to form a majority coalition in the Republic, the parties have outlined their stance on dental reform

Will you commit to support publishing a Bill to update the Dentists Act of 1985 within the first year of the next Dail? 

Fianna Fáil: Yes.

Fine Gael: We are committed to updating this legislation to enhance patient protection and ensure safe practices within the profession.

How will you address the difficulties for working adults and families in accessing dental care? 

Fianna Fáil: We have invested more than €200 million annually in the provision of oral healthcare, targeting those most in need of state support to access care.

This includes an additional €15m in core funding since 2019/2020, which is supporting progression of the National Oral Health Policy, Smile Agus Sláinte, and an additional €17m in one-off funding to address service backlogs. Looking at the payments for contractor claims between January and August this year, 200,570 additional treatments were provided under the Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS), with more than 41,800 extra patients treated when compared with 2022.

There has been a decrease in the number of patients waiting to commence orthodontic treatment. A further €3.35m is being invested in 2024 on a one-off basis to support the continuation of measuresto reduce orthodontics waiting lists. 

Fine Gael: More than €200 million is invested every year in the provision of oral healthcare, targeting those most in need of support and enabling access to care through the HSE Oral Healthcare Services, HSE Orthodontic Services, the DTSS for adult medical card holders, and the Dental Treatment Benefit Scheme.

We believe everyone who pays into our system should benefit from it. During our time in government, we restored some of the most popular treatment benefits available through Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI), introduced new benefits and ensured people who are self-employed can also benefit.

We will continue to keep the Treatment Benefit Scheme under review to build
on what we have already achieved. Our manifesto also commits to placing the Dental Treatment Services Scheme ona sustainable footing. 

How do you propose to address the failure to provide vital school screening appointments to more than 100,000 primary school children last year? 

Fianna Fáil: The HSE is progressing the development of oral healthcare packages for children aged from birth to seven years of age, supported by additional funding. 

Fine Gael: Fine Gael is committed to ensuring there is adequate access to prevention-focused oral healthcare and to hiring and retaining more HSE employed dentists. In doing so, we are very conscious of the need to focus these efforts on dental care in schools. We will also work to ensure a strong pipeline of graduates and have recently announced support for a new Bachelor of Dental Surgery in the RCSI. We are committed to further increases in training places. 

Will you support the introduction of mandatory Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for dentists in the next Dail? 

Fianna Fáil: Yes.

Fine Gael: CPD is essential to ensuring patient care and maintaining high standards. We are committed to engaging with representatives on this issue. 

Will you support the recognition of dental specialties as advocated by the Dental Council and the Irish Dental Association?  

Fianna Fáil: Will examine. 

Fine Gael: Fine Gael’s manifesto commits to acknowledging additional dental specialities, to improve the delivery of care available to patients.

Will you reform tax relief to reduce the cost of dental treatments
to patients?

Fianna Fáil: Yes.

Fine Gael:  We will keep these tax reliefs under review. 

Will you ensure that a new dental school is built in Cork?

Fianna Fáil: Yes. 

Fine Gael: Fine Gael is committed to working with University College Cork and the HSE in providing a new dental school in Cork. The minister, Patrick O’Donovan, has already engaged in this regard and is committed to doing so in the future.  

Will you commit to properly fund dental schools to reduce their reliance on registration fees from overseas students? 

Fianna Fáil: Yes.

Fine Gael: Fine Gael is committed to working with the Higher Education Authority to ensure a strong pipeline of graduates. We have recently announced support for a new Bachelor of Dental Surgery with the RCSI and are committed to further increases in dental training places in our universities.

Will you support the immediate commencement of talks on a new scheme to replace the DTSS medical card scheme with the Irish Dental Association?

Fianna Fáil: Yes.

Fine Gael: A range of measures was put in place on 1 May 2022 within the DTSS for adult medical card holders to introduce and reintroduce elements of preventative care and increase the fees paid to dental contractors for most treatment items by 40-60 per cent. Fine Gael’s manifesto commits to reviewing the DTSS and placing it on a sustainable footing to improve service delivery and accessibility
for patients.

Will you commit to providing funds to begin the roll-out of the 2019 oral health policy, Smile agus Slainte? 

Fianna Fáil: Yes.

Fine Gael: Smile agus Sláinte was published by Simon Harris when he was Minister for Health in 2019, our manifesto commits to fully implementing this important policy.