Sinn Féin TD for Roscommon/Galway, Claire Kerrane, has said her party will bring forward a Dáil motion this week seeking major reform of dental care.
Deputy Kerrane said the proposals focus on reducing waiting lists for children, developing public dental services and lowering health costs for households.
According to Sinn Féin, more than 1,648 people in the Roscommon/Galway/Mayo HSE region, mainly children, are on waiting lists for dental and orthodontic treatment, including braces and dental surgery. The party said more than 980 people in the region have been waiting over a year.
Deputy Kerrane said: “Government policy has failed to prioritise the development of public dental services or provide timely dental care for children. That must change. Children, adults and families across Roscommon and Galway are being failed by the Government’s out-dated approach to dental care.
“Our children need better dental services. It is unacceptable that more than 1,600 children are waiting years for braces in our HSE region, and a staggering 11,000 throughout the state”.
Deputy Kerrane said Sinn Féin’s motion calls for reduced waiting lists for children who need preventive and corrective care, improved public dental services, a public-only dentist contract, and dental screening for children in primary school.
She also called for the Dental Treatment Services Scheme to be modernised and integrated with the GP Visit Card.
“Dental care is essential healthcare,” she said.
“Children should not be waiting years for braces and families should not be forced to pay privately for the Government’s failures”.
