Dental Services
Seanad Éireann — 2025-12-10
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Mary Butler (FF), Waterford

I thank the Senator for the manner in which he has raised this important issue and for complimenting the supports that are available. They are good supports when people have access to them. The Government is committed to addressing immediate difficulties that patients are experiencing in accessing oral healthcare services, as well as fundamentally reforming dental services through the implementation of the national oral health policy, Smile agus Sláinte. The policy sets out the vision for the future of oral healthcare services. The two key goals of the policy are to provide supports to enable every individual to achieve his or her personal best oral health and to reduce oral health inequality across the population by enabling vulnerable groups to access oral healthcare and improve their oral health. I am also conscious of the Sláintecare model, which calls for the right care at the right time as close to home as possible. I will certainly raise the issue with the Minister to see if this is a definitive step that has been taken in Donegal or if there is any room to consider it again.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2025-12-10/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:26+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-12-10