3515. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Health the steps being taken to reduce waiting times for grade five patients specifically, given the clinical urgency attached to that classification (details supplied). [60412/26]

The HSE provides orthodontic treatment to patients with the most severe and complex treatment needs, who are classified as Grade 4 or Grade 5 according to the HSE’s assessment criteria.

The Government has invested significantly in orthodontic waiting list initiatives, including €20m between 2022 and 2025. To date 2026, through these initiatives, 5,683 Grade 4 patients have been provided with care via private capacity.

Access to HSE’s Regional Orthodontic Units is however, vital for the subset of patients with the most complex treatment needs. This includes Grade 5 subcategories where orthodontic problems may require coordination of multiple services, including surgical planning. For orthodontic patients who require jaw surgery, this investment has enabled a surgical initiative, benefitting 237 patients to date.

In 2026 we are investing €2.85m in our two existing waiting list initiatives. This supports the transfer of lower complexity Grade 4 patients into alternative care, which in turn creates capacity in and increases access to Regional Orthodontic Units for our more complex Grade 5s. At the end of June 2026, 70% of patients in active treatment nationally with HSE orthodontists were Grade 5 patients (5,750 Grade 5 patients; 2,425 Grade 4 patients in active treatment).

In addition to recruitment to fill oral healthcare vacancies, the HSE is progressing the recruitment of 15 additional whole-time-equivalent staff nationally. This includes 3 vacant Specialist Orthodontist and 2.2 supporting dental nurse whole-time-equivalents, supporting access to our HSE Orthodontic Units. The HSE has advised that of these 15 posts, 7 have been onboarded, 4 have campaigns underway, 1 post has been approved, and 3 have yet to be filled.