asked the Minister for Health when the ad hoc dental scheme which was suspended on 1 June 1984, in the Western Health Board area will be resumed; and the number of persons on the waiting list for treatment.

The Western Health Board are not in a position at present to say when they will be able to resume the ad hoc dental scheme. Emergency treatment for the relief of pain is provided by the board's dental staff for eligible persons. At present there are 9,000 adults on the waiting list for routine dental treatment. The manner in which the funds available to them are allocated to the different services they provide is a matter for the individual health board.

In view of the fact that we have not had the ad hoc dental scheme for two years and that there are more than 9,000 adults on the waiting list, will the Minister consult the Western Health Board about resuming the scheme? Will he say if the health board have had discussions with the dentists about resuming this scheme or providing even emergency treatment?

As the Deputy knows, in the ad hoc scheme the health board used the services of dentists in private practice to provide treatment for eligible adult patients. The board decided to suspend that scheme and to treat all cases, particularly emergency cases, through the board's ordinary dental services. I do not know the outcome of discussions between the IDA and the Western Health Board. It is a matter for the board to decide if they want to resume the scheme in 1986. Quite a number of boards are resuming the ad hoc scheme in 1986 but so far I have had no indication from the Western Health Board that they intend to do so.