asked the Minister for Health the progress made to date by his Department regarding the recruitment of more dental surgeons.

There are 200 whole-time dentists employed by the health boards at present. The corresponding figures for 1974 and 1978 were 155 and 194 respectively. In addition, 47 dentists are employed on a part-time or sessional basis. Vacancies for 28 whole-time permanent dentists were advertised by the Local Appointments Commission on Wednesday, 14 February 1979.

Will the Minister state what he considers to be the ideal number of dentists for the public dental service to relieve the massive queues?

We are working that out at the moment.

Is the Minister able to give the House some information on the matter?

The matter is under review at the moment. We would need considerably more than the number on hands at the moment.

Will the Minister consider asking his Department to estimate what would be required?

He has been more than a year in office now.

It is bound up with the review that we have on hands at the moment. An essential part of that review would be the number of dentists required to operate the kind of service to be put into operation.

When is it expected that the review will be completed?

Very shortly.

Within the next three months?

Yes.

Did I understand the Minister to say that there are only 28 vacancies for whole-time posts?

Twenty-eight were advertised.

Will the Minister state how many vacancies there are at present?

We are advertising for 28.

Will the Minister state how many vacant posts there are in the establishment?

There is no such figure. The number of dentists we need is under review. In the meantime we have advertised for 28 additional dentists.

Does this cover dentists in the social welfare area or is that separate?

No, the health boards.

Has the Minister any idea that there is any favourable response from the dentists' profession to the application? Is it not a fact that they are not interested in working for the State because of inadequate salaries?

No, that is not true.

Is the Minister in a position to say how many there are?

We have advertised for 28 dentists and we will see how many we get.

Is the Minister not aware that dentists are contemplating industrial action because of the poor levels of pay and promotion that are available?

Tell me somebody who is not contemplating industrial action at present.

We are not. We are the only people who are nice to the Minister.

(Cavan-Monaghan): It certainly seems to pay.

I am in permanent industrial dispute with the Minister.

Who is winning?

18.