Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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264. To ask the Minister for Health his plans for dental care services to school-going children (details supplied); the age schoolchildren are currently called for check-ups; and the improvements that will be made to the availability of services through the HSE for children in primary school in County Cork. [40669/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The HSE Oral Healthcare Service provides oral healthcare services for all children aged under 16 years. The current service model for children focuses on three appointments for examination, and follow up treatment if required, at sixth class, second class and, subject to resources, fourth class. Fissure sealants and a referral for orthodontics assessment, if deemed necessary by the HSE dentist, are provided at the sixth-class appointment.

Emergency care is provided for children of all ages up to 16 and for those with complex and additional needs.

There have been challenges in the delivery of the primary school programme. HSE continues to address the backlogs. To end-August, HSE has provided 5.1% more scheduled appointments to its target groups, including the primary school programme and those with additional needs, then it did in the same period last year.

I fully acknowledge that we need to do more. In the budget announced last week, I have allocated €4 million in full-year funding, including €2 million next year, to continue the implementation of the National Oral Health Policy. This investment is going to provide an additional 15 HSE dental staff across dentists and dental nurses to deliver oral healthcare in our community and support children to access the current primary school programme of routine check-ups.

The investment will also initiate delivery of a three-year implementation plan for the policy. Reform of our services is really important to ensure people of all ages get access to the care they need.

The HSE is currently developing new prevention-focused oral healthcare packages as the first step in reform of services for children, starting with 0-7 years olds and supported by an additional €4.75m in funding previously made available. Through this new approach, children will be supported to attend a local (private) general dental practitioner of their family's choosing from birth, reflecting how services are provided in general medical practice. Therefore, parents will be able to choose where and when to bring their child to access crucial oral healthcare.