The dental treatment services scheme was meant to entitle those who needed free public dental services as needed but this is an empty entitlement if the services simply are not available. They simply are not available in Mayo and other counties. We saw the vote of no confidence in the Minister, passed by the Irish Dental Association last week. The Minister for Health admitted that the State had a blind spot when it comes to dentistry and oral health. It is not good enough for people on medical cards to pay the price for this blind spot. In 2010, 63 dentists were taking medical card patients in Mayo. In 2020, there were 53. Now there are 19. There are just no dentists in Mayo now accepting new patients. The Government has to sit down with the Irish Dental Association and sort this out so that people can access vital care.

I thank Deputy Conway-Walsh. I will pass her views on to the Minister for Health. We have provided an additional €15 million to oral health care services this year. I take the point about needing people in place to deliver the service. On workforce capacity, I am informed that we live in a country with more registered dentists than ever before, at 3,472 as of March 2023, which is an increase of 153 from the previous year. In my Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, we are looking at how we can train more dentists and we expect to have news on that. I will ask the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, to revert to Deputy Conway-Walsh specifically about Mayo.