I commend my colleague, an Teachta David Cullinane, for bringing forward this motion, for his work on this issue and for the well-crafted solutions he has brought to the floor of the Dáil. I strongly encourage the Minister of State to engage with the solutions and proposals brought here this evening by Sinn Féin because it is very clear that what the Government is doing is not working. There are over 1,500 kids in north Dublin on waiting lists for orthodontic treatment having been assessed as grade 5. Grade 5 means they are already in pain. They have had the assessment and they need the treatment but they cannot get it. It is not hard to see what is needed. The Minister of State did not need ten minutes to tell us what is needed. We know what is needed. We need investment in our kids' dental health. The Government needs to treat it like healthcare because that is what it is. I do not know if the waiting lists I deal with in my constituency office day in, day out result from indifference, incompetence or both but the parents who contact me day in, day out are at the end of their rope. Of course, because this is Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, the private sector has moved right into this space. We now see that people can go to a private provider that did not provide dental care for kids previously but does so now. There is a price list on their website. It costs €77 for a filling and €40 for an assessment. That is €120. If parents do not have it, and plenty of them do not, does the Minister of State know what they can do? Buy now and pay later. That is getting important healthcare for children on the drip, on the never-never, on the buy now, pay later. They are getting themselves into debt. The private provider has brochures and leaflets it hands out. The incompetence of this Government has opened up that space for it.

Sentiment score: 0.02