Review of State-funded dental services
Higgins asked when the review would report. Woods outlined the committees’ work on treatment schedules and administration, noting that the Dental Association had not responded and that no firm conclusions had been reached; the Ceann Comhairle then moved to the next question.
If I remember rightly, I think I set up this committee in 1981. The Clinical Dentistry Treatment Scheduled Subcommittee have met on a number of occasions and agreed lists of treatments etc. which were sent to the Irish Dental Association for their views. The committee have not received a response from them yet. The second committee, the Admnistration Organisation Subcommittee, have also had several meetings and a number of documents prepared relating to eligibility, options, costings, administration and monitoring. These were discussed but no firm conclusions were reached. In April 1985 the general secretary of the IDA undertook that his association would submit a document for discussion which would outline their views on eligibility. The IDA have not done so yet. That is where that review stands at the present. Meanwhile, a decision has been taken in the House to extend the benefit to dependent spouses of insured workers. I have a draft agreement ready and I will very shortly be in a position to circulate it.
