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concerned about the whole dental service. There used to be over 1,200 dentists working privately who offered to provide a public service to medical card holders, but that figure has dropped to under 600. Since 2012 or 2013, the number of dentists employed within … dropped from over 300 to slightly over 250. Even though there has been a huge increase in our population, the number of dentists publicly employed by the HSE is less than it was ten years ago. We need to deal with this issue. Some people are waiting

with technological advances. Another example of this is that TFI currently has five different smartphone apps for different public transport services, including a journey planner app, a Leap card top-up app, a taxi driver database app, an app for public transport tickets and an app for local

choice and the capacity was there in the public health service, they would not insure and they are certainly hard pressed to insure themselves. They do so because they do not have confidence in the public health system to deliver healthcare for them when and where they need … reflect on Sláintecare. I am a publicly funded doctor. I have worked mainly in public practice with the medical card system. I believe in a public health service but I believe we need to reflect on Sláintecare. The capacity is not there. It is difficult

Cullinane, published our health plan. It highlighted that between 2019 and 2024, nearly half of dentists providing publicly funded care to medical card holders had withdrawn from the dental treatment services scheme. Nearly 80% of those who remained were not taking on new patients. The Government's oversight … dental care teams to target school screening for children and medical card holders. Sinn Féin would expand dental training places by 32% from 185 to 245, develop a modern general dental services contract, crucially including a public-only contract, and make necessary reforms to the Dentists

year. There are 6,858 vacant posts in the public health service at this time. A total of 400,000 people entitled to medical cards and GP visit cards are not availing of them. The public system is struggling in many respects. Health insurance providers step into that … fear that if they get sick, they will not get the help they deserve and that should be their right through the public system. Sláintecare is moving at a glacial pace, with a reduction in funding for its implementation from last year to this year. The question

thank Deputy O'Shea. As he is aware, over €230 million is invested in public oral healthcare services annually. The dental treatment service scheme, DTSS, provides oral healthcare free of charge to medical card holders aged 16 and over. Services are provided by private dentists and clinical dental

card. That needs to be simplified and better explained because it is far too complex for people to understand. The biggest reform we need to bring into the health service, if we are really interested in reform and dealing with waiting lists, is to build the elective public … referenced GP only cards and hospital beds, most of which have not been and will not be funded. There are other elements of the health service which require capital funding, including every acute hospital and mental health and disability services. The money does not go. At a meeting

transport services. The initiative is important as it both makes public transport more affordable for families and develops a familiarity with using public transport from an early age that will hopefully continue much later in life. The National Transport Authority, NTA, has advised that the card application process

adult card scheme was broadened three years ago to include eligible services operated by commercial bus operators on an opt-in basis, with individual operators choosing to participate and the NTA compensating them for the agreed discount. We must encourage and provide for the continuation of public transport

With next generation ticketing, there is much to take into account, since the scope of what it will deliver covers all public services, buses, trams and train stations, including bus validators, ticket machines, ticket vending machines, station gates, tram and train platform validators, and an account-based ticketing … solution delivered on modern cloud-hosting technology. It is important to note that it is not just a matter of giving somebody a card or going contactless. This is next generation ticketing and it will be used for a good number of years. It is not like

more people coming into that scheme and I would like it to be available for medical card holders. It is important to recognise the orthodontic team that works within the orthodontic service and not just dentists. The Minister mentioned the role of hygienists as well. I am very … work together collectively to ensure there is a robust orthodontic service for the people of Cork and Cork North-West going forward. It is critical that people look after dental health. It is publicly available here. It is important to avail of that service

Post is one of our core public services, one that has many fantastic people working within it. Over the past two weeks, I have had the opportunity to engage with two groups of people who have concerns about our post service. The first group relates to post delivery … constituency have had significant disruption to their post services as a result of issues around recruitment, rosters and so on. As the Tánaiste knows, people rely on their post services. I have had examples of bank cards arriving late and people missing oncology appointments as a result

afford private health insurance and who did not qualify for the medical card, but a lot of people qualify for doctor-only cards and have not applied for them. That is really important to say. I also want to say, as somebody who has been in the Department … such things on the record of the Dáil. I thank all those who work in our health services all over the country, whether they are public, private or voluntary. They do a huge amount of work. I fervently believe that every person who goes to work in healthcare

only card, which I acknowledge is a help, but it is still a long way off. A small number of people have that card. Let us look at this category of people for a moment. These are the same people who cannot get on a local authority housing … spreads that burden. I want to address value for money in the health system. We had the 100th anniversary of the Committee of Public Accounts today. As a former Cathaoirleach of the committee, I attended the celebration. There is no doubt that people in the health system

Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide the conclusion of the Data Protection Commission’s investigation into the public services card using facial-matching technology as a means for his Department’s processing of biometric/identity data; the provisions that will be made to bring

Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount of expenditure to date on the creation and operation of the public services card; the amount expended in relation to regulatory and legal challenges regarding the card; if he accepts that the card records biometric data

identification of a valid lawful basis for the Department’s processing of biometric data in connection with the registration of new public service cards; the requirement to cease processing of such data within 9 months (in the absence of the Department of Social Protection identifying such a valid

Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Health the HSE costs attributable to international protection applicants, by service that is GP/primary care (including GP visit cards), pharmacy/medicines, public health (screening, vaccination), emergency department, inpatient and outpatient activity, mental-health services, dental, interpreting and any per-applicant