This motion calls for major reform of dental care in Ireland because the current system is systematically broken. The HSE dental lists are evidence of this, with 11,000 people, most of whom are children, waiting for an appointment. Some 8,000 are waiting more than a year, while 40% of children are waiting more than two years. In fact, we had a well-known and reported case in my own county of Wexford, where a pensioner, Mr. Hayes, pulled out his own teeth because he was in excruciating pain and had tried in vain to get an appointment at several dental practices. This is totally unacceptable in a wealthy, modern country. Only one third of dentists are providing public dental treatment services, and only one tenth of dentists work for the HSE. This is causing major financial hardship for working families and people with disabilities, especially those who require an anaesthetic. This type of treatment costs a small fortune. Many families have to borrow from their local credit union for dental treatment. This is wrong. The recommendations of the Dental Council of Ireland should be implemented and a new dental Act should replace the outdated 1985 Act. A workforce plan must be implemented and more places must be made available for our young trainee dentists. Sinn Féin is also calling for a digitalisation of data for special care patients and patients with intellectual disabilities to ensure transparency and accountability. We have an ageing population. It is not rocket science. It is a global fact that people will have problems with their teeth and oral health as they grow older. This is why we in Sinn Féin are calling for a total overhaul of our current dental system, which is completely out of date, and a legal framework for dental practices. Every man, woman and child should have access to a dentist if they need one. A major reform of our dental care system must happen because the current one is creating a two-tier operation that is only serving those who can afford it and those who have expensive medical insurance, while the majority of citizens are left to wait for years for treatment. This is wrong and something must change.

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