I wish to raise the issue of autistic children in mainstream schools who are excluded from the special care dental programme that autistic children in special schools and in special class are included in. I tabled a parliamentary question on this matter after I was contacted by the Dublin 12 Campaign 4 Autism Inclusion in relation to a health centre on Old County Road, Crumlin. The reply states that the dental service is not resourced to provide comprehensive dental care to all children, including those with special needs. The special care programme prioritises children in special schools and in special classes in mainstream schools, while children with special needs in mainstream classes are not targeted in the special care programme. Parents whose autistic children are in the mainstream are already burdened, as the Taoiseach has mentioned, by the lack of services and huge financial burdens of paying for speech and language therapists, physiotherapists etc., just like parents of children who are in special schools and classes.

I thank the Deputy.

May I just ask the question? Why are autistic children in the mainstream being excluded from the special care dental programme? Why are dental services not resourced to provide that care?

They should not be excluded.

They should not.

There is a wider issue with dental services more generally. The fault is not all on the side of the State. We have to look radically at this to make a broader provision for people, particularly children with special needs. They should be prioritised in any service. There has been a long-standing, ongoing issue which includes industrial relations issues, pay issues and so forth. We have a highly privatised dental service more generally. It seems to me that the capacity within the public service to deliver services on the public dental front is in decline-----

I thank the Taoiseach.

-----notwithstanding the fact that more money has been allocated. There needs to be very serious engagement on that issue.

Will that be addressed?

Yes.