Cllr hits out at school dental delays again

Councillors have vented their frustrations that substantive reform in children’s dental services will not materialise until 2027 at the earliest.

The timeline was confirmed in recent correspondence from the office of Minister of Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, to Cavan County Council.

The delay, Independent Brendan Fay says, reflects a continued gap in essential dental healthcare for children of school-going age, particularly at a time when many are already struggling to receive even basic oral care.

Currently, the HSE Oral Healthcare Service provides limited care, targeting children in specific school years - second, fourth, and sixth classes.

Cllr Fay claims this, coupled with vacancies across the network, is leaving large gaps in preventative and routine treatment with some children going to secondary school without ever having been seen.

The lack of regular care greatly increases the likelihood that children will need emergency interventions at a later stage, said Cllr Fay when he raised the matter at a council earlier this year.

At the July monthly meeting of elected members, Cllr Fay reacted with disappointment to the Minister’s response.

The letter acknowledged that recruitment and staffing shortages have become a serious barrier to expanding services.

There are at present 34.7 whole-time equivalent (WTE) vacancies across oral healthcare roles, which the HSE is “currently actively working to fill”.

In Budget 2025 an additional €2M in funding was allocated, doubling to €4M in 2026, with a proposal to recruit 15 additional staff by 2026.

Though the long-term vision of the National Oral Health Policy is commendable, Cllr Fay worries the pace of investment does not match demand/need.

The dad of two said his sons would go through primary school without ever being seen by an oral health professional.

“It’s not good enough.”

The letter from the minister indicated that the HSE is working towards transitioning to a model where children will soon have an opportunity to access free, community-based dental care from birth, mirroring GP services.

“An implementation plan for the first phase of policy implementation to end 2027 is being finalised and contains development plans for new services for children among the initial priorities,” said the response received by the council from the minister.