The dental treatment scheme is on the verge of collapse right across the State. The Taoiseach is aware of this because I have raised it with him several times. People with cancer, kidney transplant patients, people with diabetes and all medical card holders have been unable to access dental treatment for a year now. There are 2,500 children who have not had their first class dental check-up and 2,500 more waiting for their sixth class check-up, and that is just in County Louth. In County Meath, the figures are even higher. That is replicated right across the State.

The HSE has stated today that it is going to carry out a review in the second quarter of this year. Is it for real? That will mean that by the time the review is finished, people will not have had access to dental care for almost two years. Is the Taoiseach actually going to let the HSE get away with this and let it off the hook again, or is he going to pick up the phone to Mr. Paul Reid and insist that given we are now into the second year where people with medical cards and primary school pupils do not have access to dental treatment, there is an urgency with the review and it must be carried out and the matter resolved within the first quarter of this year?

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. Discussions and talks are ongoing between the Irish Dental Association and the HSE.

No, there was one meeting in December.

Deputy, please.

The review has not started. Just to be factual----

Deputy, you have asked the question. Let us move on.

The Ceann Comhairle cut me off 20 seconds before I was finished.

I cut you off 20 seconds after you had used the minute allotted.

Just to put it straight, that review is not happening until the second quarter of this year, which will mean that medical card holders will not have had access to dental treatment and primary pupils will have had no dental check-ups for 18 months.

Deputy, please, there is no provision for supplementary questions on these matters.

I am just putting the facts right.

As I said, the talks are ongoing. It is a contractual issue. It is not just the HSE side of the equation. Deputies should keep that in perspective when negotiations, in terms of prices and contracts and so on, are ongoing. I want a service that is fit for purpose and gives people the service they deserve. Some €10 million has been invested and allocated this year. The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, responded to a Topical Issue on the matter that was raised earlier, so there might be more information in that.