There is a huge problem with medical card holders accessing dental services. Dentists are not taking on medical card holders and people cannot afford to pay for dental treatment privately. If people cannot have their teeth taken care of, there are long-term consequences for their general health and appearance. A review of the scheme was promised two years ago by the Minister for Health. Additional funding is not the only problem here. The scheme needs to be updated to include preventative care which would prove cost-effective in the long term. It is also having an impact on the provision of dentures. Will the Tánaiste give an update on the review? What measures are being taken to address the backlog of people who are being denied dental care?

As the Deputy will be aware, the Minister allocated additional funding in the interim period to try to deal with the challenges in the public dental health services. There will continue to be challenges there. I will talk to the Minister in respect of the timeline around the review and where that is at present.