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Only half of all dental student places offered to school leavers from Ireland or EEA countries despite the shortage of dentists in Ireland

We urge Minister Donnelly and HSE CEO, Bernard Gloster, to immediately implement a recruitment strategy which would improve the current employment levels in the public dental service and help reduce waiting lists among public patients. Irish dental patients are suffering the consequences of the wilful neglect of our public dental service which has seen a 23% decline in staffing levels versus a 20 to 50% increase in all other areas of our health service such as nursing, admin and doctor staffing levels.

Yesterday's (22nd May 2024) debate in the Dail on the Private Members' motion on dentistry from the Social Democrats featured contributions from over 20 TDs from all political parties and groupings. We wish to thank Deputy Roisin Shortall and the Social Democrats for proposing the motion and the many other deputies who contributed to the debate.