Louth TD slams government’s continued failure to act on dental care shortage in the county

Responding to the figures from the Irish Dental Association (IDA) which reveal that the number of dentists in Louth operating the medical card scheme has fallen by 40% since 2017, local Labour TD Ged Nash has said; 

“Today’s shocking figures from the dentists’ group once again highlights that there has been a drastic decline in the availability of dental care in Co. Louth.

“Medical card patients are bearing the brunt of this crisis, with just 21 dentists now operating the medical card scheme in Louth. 

“I have been inundated with calls and visits from concerned constituents in recent months who have been unable to secure dental care because they have a medical card. 

“One person described how they called practically every dentist in Drogheda, Dundalk and Navan amounting to almost 50 phone calls, but none are in a position to take on new medical card holders.

“I recently met with the Dental Association and local dentists to hear their concerns. It is clear they are completely stretched, under-resourced and simply unable to meet the needs of patients under the existing and outdated dental treatment services scheme.

“I have also repeatedly raised the concerns of constituents and conscientious local dentists who want to provide twenty first century dental care to those with medical cards with the Minister for Health. Yet the situation continues to deteriorate day by day, with dental patients and practitioners left in the lurch as the stalemate on talks over a new scheme is allowed drag on. 

“This will undoubtedly have lasting implications as the dental needs of too many are currently going unmet.

“Many of those I represented have been forced to scrape together money for expensive treatments at a time when household finances are already under severe pressure as the cost of living soars.

“We should not forget that under the Health Act, the Government, Minister for Health and HSE have a legal duty to ensure that medical card patients can access adequate dental care. They have abjectly failed in this duty. 

“I have once again written to the parties to remind them of their responsibilities, and to demand urgent interim measures be put in place to provide timely treatment for dental patients on medical cards in Louth.