Rose Conway-Walsh warns medical-card dental services collapse in Mayo
Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh raised the collapse of medical-card dental services in County Mayo, reporting that only one of 30 HSE-listed dentists was treating and taking new medical-card patients. She attributed the situation to a 30% cut in the medical-card dental allocation between 2017 and 2020 and demanded emergency action and answers about HSE information.
What the deputy found
She said she contacted each of the 30 dentists listed by the HSE on their website. Only one practice reported currently treating medical-card patients and taking on new patients, ten practices said they no longer provide any medical-card dental services, and only one practice was taking new medical-card patients.
Scale and local impact
She noted the scale of the problem in Mayo, a county with a population of 130,000, calling the situation "absolutely shocking." The deputy presented the interruption of services as widespread across the county and urgent for affected patients.
Cause cited by the deputy
She told the house that between 2017 and 2020 the medical card patients' allocation was cut by 30% from 3.5 million downwards, and she linked that reduction to dentists withdrawing from the scheme.
Questions posed to the Tánaiste and the HSE
The deputy asked the Tánaiste what would be done as a matter of emergency and why the HSE was putting out what she described as false information about dental availability for medical-card patients.
The Tánaiste's response
The Tánaiste acknowledged that many dentists around the country have withdrawn from the DTSS, the medical-card scheme, and said the budget for it is being increased. The Tánaiste said discussions with the Irish Dental Association are under way or will be, and offered to ask the minister to provide a more detailed response.
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Tanaiste, are you aware that medical card dental services have completely collapsed in Mayo? We contacted each of the 30 dentists listed by the HSE on their website. Of all of the dental practices throughout the country, only one said they were currently treating medical card patients and taking on new patients, but even then only for very specific treatments. In a county the size of Mayo with a population of 130,000, this is absolutely shocking. Ten of them told us that they are no longer providing any medical card dental services and only one practice is taking on new medical card patients. This is not good enough, Tanaiste. We know why this has happened, because between 2017 and 2020, the medical card patients' allocation was cut by 30% from 3.5 million downwards. There are two issues here. We need to know what you are going to do as a matter of emergency, but also why are the HSE putting out false information around this? Thank you. Thanks very much, Deputy. I am aware that a lot of dentists around the country have withdrawn from the DTSS, which is the medical card scheme. I am not sure about the details in Mayo specifically, but a lot have in different parts of the country. The budget for it is being increased and discussions, if they are not underway, they will be underway with the Irish Dental Association about getting that scheme working well again. What I will do is ask the Minister to give you a more detailed response, because I am not as up-to-date on it. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
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