Supports and Services for Patients with Head and Neck Cancers: Motion
Seanad Éireann — 2025-10-08
============================================================

Gerard P. Craughwell (IND), Labour Panel

I move:
That Seanad Éireann:
acknowledges that:
- Ireland's current approach to pre-radiation oncology dental care and post-surgical dental rehabilitation is under-resourced, under-staffed and unsafe. Adequate pre-radiation and post-surgical dental services are essential components of cancer care;
- immediate investment and legislative action are necessary to ensure that patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) receive timely, equitable and safe treatment;
- HNC patients in Ireland face significant and avoidable risks due to inadequate pre- and post-radiation and post-surgery oncology dental services;
- the Dublin Dental University Hospital (DDUH) currently manages approximately 400 new patient referrals annually with only a single consultant-led service, and Cork University Dental School and Hospital manage approximately 160 patient referrals annually, with only a single specialist-led service;
- severe capacity constraints are leading to delays in radiotherapy, inadequate dental preparation and increased long-term debilitating risks such as osteoradionecrosis (decaying/dead jaw and facial bones) and radiation tooth decay (dental caries);
- HNC is affecting increasingly younger patients, who will live with the side effects of the disease and its treatment for the rest of their lives;
- this is a national issue, and as a result of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), the incidence of HNC is rising, currently involving a quarter of the current pre-radiation dental referrals; such cases are projected to increase by 66 per cent by 2045;
- current delays in dental treatments and post-surgical oral rehabilitation contribute directly to radiation treatment postponements, reducing survival rates from this cancer and compromised quality of life;
notes that:
- there is a geographical spread with 4 per cent of referrals from the Mid-West, South-West, West and North-West regions combined, 46 per cent from Dublin City and County and 50 per cent from the North-East, South-East and Midlands with associated substantial costs and travel time for patients and their carers to attend dental appointments in Dublin;
- there is at least a 9 per cent increased mortality rate associated with every 4-week delay in the commencement of definitive radiotherapy;
- 43 per cent of patients present without a regular dentist, further limiting post-treatment care, while 181 patients await post radiotherapy review – some for up to 14 months;
- the running costs of providing these services in the DDUH at current activity levels is €1.367 million annually, approximately €811,000 is funded by the HSE, leaving an additional funding requirement of €556,000;
- the absence of a national HNC dental pathway and critical workforce gaps in prosthodontics, oral surgery and dental hygiene compound this crisis;
- there is a strong connection between HPV and the presence of HNC, this underlies the importance of the HPV vaccine for young males and females;
- based on empirical evidence there is a need for treatment facilities in the West (Galway) and increased services in the South (Cork);
- currently, the necessity for patients to travel to Dublin for treatment significantly impacts families in relation to time and finances;
calls on the Minister for Health to:
- provide a commitment to ring-fencing funding of €1.367 million annually for pre-radiation oncology dental services in the DDUH, with adjustments in line with inflation and expansion of services;
- provide full supports for regional dental oncology care centres in Cork and Galway;
- introduce statutory recognition of pre-radiation and post-surgical rehabilitation dental services so that they will be formally integrated into cancer care pathways;
- create permanent consultant posts in oral surgery and restorative dentistry for Cork and Galway centres;
- outline guaranteed timelines so patients can be seen by dental services within 7 days of their cancer multidisciplinary team meeting;
- implement a minimum 10-day healing period prior to the commencement of radiation therapy;
operative and irradiated patients.

---

Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted.

Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2025-10-08/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:11+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-10-08