Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The one thing on which I can agree with the Minister is that there is serious pressure on the system. Where we differ, however, is that the Government is putting the pressure on the system. The clinical lead tells us in correspondence we have from the HSE that it is a Government decision that is preventing these children from being treated. We have a serious problem. One in two children who are entitled to these appointments are not getting them. That is 100,000 young children. We all know the impact that delayed diagnosis and delayed treatment can have on the child and on oral health but also on self-confidence and all the issues in that regard. The HSE could not be clearer. The Taoiseach stood here yesterday and said there is no recruitment embargo. The HSE tells us the recruitment embargo is still in place at this point. It states that while the embargo is in place, no additional staff will be appointed.

I put it to the Minister again that there are 100 children being failed by his Government and by a Government decision to implement a recruitment embargo that makes sure that there will be no additional dental staff employed outside of consultants. What is the Government going to do about it? We have told the Government what needs to be done. It needs to lift the ludicrous recruitment embargo that is failing our children so badly and it needs to train more dentists.

See this speech in context