The dental treatment scheme is on the verge of collapse right across the State. Some 200 dentists have left the scheme this year alone and more than one third have left the scheme since 2016. Despite knowing that the scheme is on the verge of collapse, neither the Minister nor the Taoiseach has done anything to deal with it.

I will give the Taoiseach an example of what is happening right across the State. In Drogheda, we could find only one dentist who is still accepting patients with medical cards. That is in an area with a population of more than 40,000. I will outline to the Taoiseach how the situation is affecting ordinary people on the ground. A constituent who had mouth cancer and an operation last year, who is insulin-dependent, cannot get an appointment, although he urgently needs one. Another kidney transplant patient, who is losing her teeth, cannot get an appointment.

The Deputy is over time.

At what stage will the Minister intervene and engage with dentists? This has to stop.

Additional funding of €10 million has been provided in the budget on top of the existing level of service provision of €56 million. The additional allocation should enable progress to be made in addressing issues concerning service provision for medical card patients in 2022.

The national oral health policy, Smile agus Sláinte, was published in 2019. The future approach to oral health service provision has been aligned with the goals and objectives of this policy and is in line with WHO resolutions and models of care. The Deputy is aware that the HSE public dental service provides emergency and routine care to children under the age of 16. It has always been the Department's intention to undertake a root and branch review of the contract. Covid interrupted the plans outlined in the new national oral health policy in 2019.

I thank the Taoiseach.

I do not have time to go into further detail.