Orthodontic care waiting lists
Deputy Nolan highlighted long orthodontic waiting lists in the midlands, especially Offaly, and asked what resources would be provided to make timely access real. The Tánaiste said he did not have county-by-county details, but health spending is at a historic high and the HSE must address pressured service areas.
Page 55 of the programme for Government states that the Government is committed to ensuring there is timely access to orthodontic care. I have obtained recent figures from the HSE which show that over 1,854 people in the midlands are waiting for orthodontic care. More than 1,000 have been waiting for one year while 500 have been waiting for more than four years. Many families in the midlands and in Offaly in particular have waited years to get appointments for their teenage children. What resources will be put in place to improve this service and how will timely access be made a reality for these people?
Comment on this
Is it true that there is one orthodontist between Laois and Offaly?
Comment on this
I do not have the details on a county-by-county basis. We are now spending more on health care than the State has ever spent in its history. There is, of course, an obligation on the HSE to deal in its service plan with many areas which are under pressure. The availability of resources for health care, however, is higher now than it has ever been.