735. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Health if she will consider reducing the period of time before which medical card holders can get new dentures from five years to three years where a need has been identified by a dental practitioner; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50975/26]

The Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) provides oral healthcare, free of charge, to medical card holders aged 16 and over. Services available annually and on demand include an examination including preventative elements, two fillings, extractions, and a scale and polish. More complex care, such as dentures, additional fillings and a broader range of treatments for patients with additional needs and high-risk patients, are available subject to the approval of the local HSE Principal Dental Surgeon.

In 2019 the National Oral Health Policy, Smile agus Slainte, was published. The policy aims to radically transform oral healthcare services - recognising the need for an entirely new approach to oral healthcare to meet the needs of our population into the future. The Policy is in line with the 2024 WHO Action Plan on oral health.

While that reform is progressed, I am determined to ease the pressure people are facing now. In practical terms, that means improving access through the public system—especially for children and adult medical card holders. My Department and the HSE are finalising a more focused two-year action plan to deliver real improvements on the ground.

The plan will be driven by a dedicated governance group, with progress monitored closely and aligned to wider HSE and Department priorities. It will aim to respond to sustained service pressures, workforce constraints, and long waiting lists—particularly for children and for people with additional needs.

It will focus on a small number of clear priorities:

Cut waiting lists in the School Dental Programme and orthodontics

Strengthen and expand the Special Access Programme

Reviewing and improving the Dental Treatment Services Scheme

Support recruitment, education and training

Support innovation and new ways of delivering care

Over the next two years, the aim is to stabilise services, reduce waiting times, and make access measurably better for patients—while laying the groundwork for longer-term reform. As part of this, my Department is committed to reviewing the DTSS.

Recent engagements with for example, the Irish Dental Association (IDA), the Irish Dental Hygienists Association (IDHA) and the Dental Council have ranged from addressing waiting lists and delivering near term improvements to the schools program, to improving the supply of dental team members by exploring innovative ways of broadening the educational and training options for both hygienists and dental nurses. We will also be consulting with colleagues in DFHERIS on educational opportunities for both the current and future dental workforce.

My Department officials are currently engaging with HSE counterparts to finalise this action plan.