Children With Special Needs Referred To Dundalk Amid Two-Year Delay For Dental Care Under Anaesthetic

Thursday, 17 July 2025 14:47

By Martin Osborne

Labour TD Marie Sherlock said Ireland’s public dental services are in crisis, with just 249 HSE dentists now operating nationally — down from 330 in 2009.

Children in Kildare with additional or special needs face waits of over two years for dental care under general anaesthetic, with some being referred as far as Dundalk for treatment.

Labour TD Marie Sherlock said Ireland’s public dental services are in crisis, with just 249 HSE dentists now operating nationally — down from 330 in 2009.

"Children with additional needs or special needs who require care under general anaesthetic are obliged to wait two years or more for that care," Sherlock said.

She highlighted a 38% drop in the number of dentists participating in the Dental Treatment Services Scheme over the past five years.

Deputy Sherlock said routine school assessments have collapsed in many areas, and warned that children are now experiencing severe decay and delayed orthodontic care as a result.

She called on the Government to urgently address recruitment delays, restore training schemes, and expand PRSI dental benefits.

Meanwhile, figures released last year show that out of 11,239 pupils in 2nd, 3rd and 4th class in Kildare, just 5,543 were seen by a HSE dentist.

There are 14 dental surgeries in Kildare that are currently contracted to a scheme that accepts appointments from medical card holders, according to the HSE.

The services that are available to medical card holders include a dental examination, teeth cleaning, extractions and two fillings a year.