asked the Minister for Health if it is his intention to establish a dental section in his Department and to fill the vacant post of dental adviser.

It is my intention to appoint at least one dentist as soon as possible to the staff of my Department at an appropriate level so that high-level expert professional advice would be available to me and the Department in planning the future of the dental services.

8.

asked the Minister for Health if he is satisfied with the present dental services; and if not, what measures he proposes to take.

9.

asked the Minister for Health if, in view of the inadequacy of the dental treatment and optical services available to persons covered by medical cards, he will introduce schemes for each of these services whereby medical card holders can attend a dentist and optician/ ophthalmologist of their choice, in the same way as they can now attend a general practitioner of their choice.

With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 9 together.

I am not satisfied with the existing dental and ophthalmic services. The Government intend to divert resources towards the improvement of these services. In the development of policies for the extension of these services, several options will be considered, including that mentioned.

Would the Minister agree this is essentially a matter of money, the payment of the appropriate salaries to the medical staffs attached to our regional health boards and/or the payment of private fees to private practitioners who, I understand, are only too willing to take care of medical card holders?

I am anxious to get on with the implementation of a fairly comprehensive programme for dental health and the first step in that regard —it is mentioned by Deputy Clinton— is the appointment of a high level professional adviser in the Department of Health. Steps are under way to ensure that appointment and when the appointment is made, and I hope it will be fairly soon, we will then get on with the task of developing and implementing a worth-while dental health service.

Is it not a fact that there does exist an agreement between the Department of Social Welfare and private practitioners for the treatment of social welfare recipients and why can this not be extended to medical card holders? Is it not disgraceful that medical card holders should have to wait indefinitely for a service to which they are entitled free of charge with their condition worsening all the time?

The sort of discussions needed in this area to achieve what the Deputy and others would wish to achieve have been inhibited because of the non-appointment of a chief dental adviser in the Department and I hope that problem will very soon be resolved.

May I ask when we can hope for an improvement in this situation?

In a matter of weeks, I would say. I would hope that the appointment difficulty would be resolved fairly quickly.

Has agreement been reached between the Minister and the profession as to the level of the appointment, the grade?

Almost, but not quite.

Will it be at the level the association were seeking?

Yes. I would rather that the Deputy did not pursue the matter too closely at this stage.

That is the basis of the dispute.

I am in a negotiating situation.

But you have not yet agreed?

Not quite. I thought I had.

We thought so also.