Is the Taoiseach aware that many thousands of medical card holders are being deprived of dental treatment to which they are entitled because dentists have felt compelled to withdraw from the dental service treatment scheme? Is he further aware that this situation is set to worsen as the Irish Dental Association is in the course of a ballot of its members to withdraw from the scheme in protest at the failure of the Health Service Executive and the Department of Health and Children to engage with the association and complete a thorough review of the scheme? Is the Taoiseach aware that because of this and the impending result of that ballot, medical card holders are now being denied access to critical dental treatment through the general medical services scheme upon which they are totally dependent? Would the Taoiseach not agree that the scheme is far from comprehensive? However, we are now faced with its total collapse. Can the Taoiseach confirm that part of the reason for the current impasse is the advice received by the HSE and the Department of Health and Children from the Attorney General claiming that they cannot negotiate fees for this scheme with the Irish Dental Association because of the Competition Act? Is this the same advice that has been given regarding the role of the Irish Pharmaceutical Union in representing its membership?

The Deputy's time has concluded.

Whatever the legal position, does the Taoiseach realise that if this problem is not resolved the scheme will collapse and many people will be left without the treatment to which they are entitled? Will he urge the Minister for Health and Children to immediately intervene and use her offices to facilitate the recommencement of direct engagement with the Irish Dental Association to stave off the worst-case scenario that I indicated earlier?

The dental service that operates at the moment is a very good service and we certainly do not want a disruption of that service. The private dentists who operate the system are a hugely valuable part of providing the services for medical card patients. This issue, like the pharmacy issue, has gone on for some considerable time. The negotiations have been ongoing in one form or another for several years. However, the Government must keep the dentists as part of the system because otherwise we would not be able to run the service. At the same time we must protect public expenditure and taxpayers' interest in it. It is the intention of the Minister, the Department of Health and Children and all of us to ensure the service continues. There is ongoing attention. The negotiations between the Irish Dental Association and the Department have been quite a long-running saga.

I thank the Taoiseach for his reply. However, he has not indicated whether he will use his position as Taoiseach to impress on the Minister the importance of her immediately intervening to break the logjam. Now is the time to do it, in advance of any decision by the members of the Irish Dental Association. As the Taoiseach should know dentists have been pulling——

Pulling teeth.

——out of this scheme in ever increasing numbers from as far back as 2005. Dental treatment is supposed to be a key element of primary care provision, something to which the Taoiseach and his Government are allegedly committed — another one of the promises referred to already this morning. In reality we do not have the network of primary care centres including dental providers, both dentists and the various skilled people across that discipline, providing this service, all of which was promised within the health strategy. Why has all this been dropped? What is the Taoiseach now prepared to do to rescue the situation——

The Deputy's time has concluded.

——particularly for those who are dependent on medical cards for access to the whole raft of health care services including dental services? These are the people who will now suffer most from a further deterioration of the situation between the Irish Dental Association, the HSE and the Department of Health and Children. Ultimately the buck stops with the Taoiseach. What is he now prepared to do about it?

I will not intervene in a process that has been ongoing for some time. The negotiations are going on. The service has improved. The Deputy is incorrect. The dental service has improved in schools and for the general public through community medicine and the primary care teams. These are industrial relations negotiations about the fee and remuneration dentists will receive. Obviously the Government supports trying to reach a conclusion to that. We value the professionalism of our dentists who operate the scheme for medical card holders. As in any industrial relations issue, we need to ensure we negotiate a package that is fair to all sides.