Please, Deputy Browne. Deputy Dillon is next.

Our public dental services are at crisis point in County Mayo. We have more than 55,000 medical card holders served by only ten dentists. That is a staggering average of more than 5,500 patients per dentist. The dentists are overwhelmed and are no longer accepting new patients. Medical card holders are suffering. They are stuck on long waiting lists or contemplating seeking treatment abroad. In February, the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, promised a review of a modern, streamlined dental treatment service scheme, DTSS. Where is that review? How many dentists have returned to the scheme or signed up for it? What is the plan to improve access to the dental service for medical card holders? This is a serious concern for the people who contact us on a daily basis who need access to dental services. We need answers. We need action and we need it now.

I appreciate the fact that we are running into some real difficulties with the DTSS, with many dentists pulling out of the scheme and concentrating solely on private practice. It is worth pointing out that the number of registered dentists in Ireland is at its highest ever level, at 3,472 in total. That is 153 more dentists than this time last year.

Regarding DTSS access in County Mayo, HSE figures indicate that there are currently 45,418 patients eligible for the service in the county and 21 contractors in County Mayo submitted claims to the HSE for payments in 2023. Comparing claims submitted in County Mayo from January to June with the same period in 2022, an additional €250,000 was paid out to dentists, an additional 341 patients were seen and an additional 2,276 treatments were provided. There has, therefore, been an increase this year on last year. At least, that is what the figures indicate.