I thank Deputy Cullinane for bringing forward this important motion. We need action on this issue. A number of parents in my constituency of Meath East have written to me. I was told about a 12-year-old in Dunshaughlin who has never been called to the HSE dentist. One wrote: "My daughter is 11 and has not been called for any HSE dental services at all." A parent wrote about a son, who is 12 this year, who has never been called. Another parent wrote: My son is 12, nearly 13, just about to finish in primary school and has never been called to be seen by a HSE dentist. Obviously, I have gone private and paid myself but it is a totally different experience to my daughter, who is 12 years older and got all her checks through the HSE. I called about four years ago to see why he still hasn't been called and they said that due to Covid, everything was delayed. It's an absolute joke. A parent wrote to me: "My daughter is 13 and has never been called to see a HSE dentist and is starting secondary school in September." Another parent told me of a daughter who is 15 and had her first HSE check-up eight weeks ago. That is the pattern not just across my constituency but across the State. The figures provided by Deputy Cullinane comparing waiting lists in quarter 1 of 2026 with quarter 1 of 2021 are absolutely stark. The number of orthodontic patients at grade 5 waiting more than 48 months, or four years, significantly increased between 2021 and this year from 180 to 250. We can only imagine the pain those children are suffering. The overall numbers waiting have more than doubled from 734 to 1,565. These are the most severe cases representing those most in need. The waiting lists are absolutely obscene. Will the Minister of State please do something about them?

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