I commend my colleague, Deputy Cullinane, for his work on this motion. The numbers speak for themselves. Over 11,000 people, the vast majority of them children, are left suffering on dental treatment waiting lists across the country. The State is failing them, plain and simple, yet what do we see from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael? The same attempt to normalise these shocking delays, just as they have done with the disastrous waiting list for the children seeking an assessment of need. These waiting lists are not just numbers; they are children left suffering. I have spoken to so many parents drowning in stress, feeling that their only option is to go private at crippling personal cost just to get adequate care for their child. All the while, those in the private sector continue to line their pockets off the back of the Government's incompetency. This Government needs to accept a hard truth: the current system is outdated, chronically under-resourced and simply not fit for purpose. A child should be able to see a dentist when they need one, rather than having to wait until six years down the line. A family that contacted my office were told their child would be waiting six agonising years for dental treatment. With a bit of help, they finally got a notice in March to say he was on the priority list but just last week they were told the funding had run out. His booking was cancelled. They were told the patients on the list from January and half of those from February would be seen. How the money can run out that early in the year is beyond me. This family are absolutely devastated. God knows how long he is going to be on the list. This child does not smile anymore. This is not just about his physical health; this is about children's mental health also. A child should be able to smile.

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