Number of GDP members goes up but public dentist numbers down

The Irish Dental Association has seen a 28 per cent increase in membership since 2008, according to the association’s annual report for 2015.

The overall number of members now stands at 1,700 with nearly 50 per cent more general practitioners joining since 2008 as well. However, the number of members employed by the public dental service has dropped alarmingly with 43 per cent fewer than recorded 2008.

IDA chief executive, Fintan Hourihan, said: “Clearly, the overall rise in membership reflects the significant increase in benefits and services afforded to members, but it also reflects the strong leadership shown by successive boards and officers over the last decade. The adoption of an ambitious strategic plan in 2013 is predicated on further expansion of the membership, and I believe that it is now appropriate to set a clear membership target of 2,000 dentists and I feel that there is no reason why we cannot aspire to such a level of membership within the next three years.”

Despite a modest increase in income, from €1,295,081 in 2014 to €1,315,036 in 2015, the association made an operating loss of €26,454. This has been put in main to the investment in the Learning Management System which allows members to book and pay for CPD courses online, record their own CPD and read and record the Journal of the Irish Dental Association articles.

And, while there was a 2 per cent increase in membership subscriptions from 2014, there report highlighted a “very significant” increase in income from training courses, to approximately €30,000 – a 50 per cent increase in 2014.

This association’s CPD Roadshow Programme saw more than 500 delegates attend workshops in six different locations nationwide.