Written answer
Dental Services
The Minister outlined existing free dental provision for children and medical-card holders, and announced a two-year plan to reduce waiting lists and improve access.
1418. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health her views on the importance of establishing good dental habits early on life; if her Department has examined the possibility of providing free dental check-ups for children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65621/26]
Comment on this
At present, the HSE Oral Healthcare Service aims to provide an oral examination and necessary
treatment for children at up to three intervals, targeting ages approximating to second and sixth
class and, in some cases, fourth class. Emergency care is provided for children of all ages up to 16. The Dental Treatment Services Scheme provides dental care, free of charge, to medical card holders aged 16 and over.
I am determined to ease the pressure people are facing now in accessing oral healthcare. In practical terms, that means improving access through the public oral healthcare system—especially for children and medical card holders. My Department and the HSE are finalising a 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.
• expand the access programme for people with additional needs and disabilities.
• 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. The longer term reform of oral healthcare services will be achieved through the National Oral Health Policy. These new oral healthcare services will be prevention-focused and will be tailored to each age group across the life course from birth to old age. The Policy has two key goals:
• to provide the supports to enable every individual to achieve their personal best oral health.
• to reduce oral health inequalities across the population, by enabling vulnerable groups to access oral healthcare and improve their oral health.