Irish dental budget cuts will not be reversed
The Irish Health Minister has announced that budget cuts will not be reversed.
Mary Harney announced that cuts in dental schemes will not be reversed because the government does not have the necessary resources to support any changes to the current system. Ms Harney also claimed that the cuts were not as severe as many people were making out and claimed that the same amount of money that was spent in 2008 will be spent this year.
The budget cuts have caused uproar amongst patients and dentists across Ireland and some dentists have even taken the Health Service Executive to court. Many dentists claim they have lost a considerable amount of business since the cuts came into play and a large proportion of patients claim that they cannot afford dental treatment without the support of the state. The cuts affected dental schemes including the PRSI and medical card schemes; patients who were previously entitled to reduced rate care and free check-ups are now only allowed one free check-up, despite paying the same contributions from their wages.
Speaking yesterday at Dublin Dental University Hospital, Mary Harney disputed claims that dentists are losing business due to the cuts and refused to accept that the budget cuts had forced some dentists to close their practices. Ms Harney also warned that harder times are still to come, with increased pressure on government spending due to a growing deficit. Ms Harney claimed that everyone would have to pull together during these difficult times and take responsibility for living within their means.
Join this Discussion