THE IRISH Dental Association has launched a poster campaign in dentists’ surgeries to protest at the proposal in the McCarthy report to abolish the dental treatment benefit scheme.
The scheme, which has been in place for many decades, allows patients who make PRSI contributions to avail of free or subsidised dental treatment.
The report by the special group chaired by economist Colm McCarthy says treatment benefit schemes for dental care, optical treatment and hearing aids are no longer affordable given the other pressures on the social insurance budget. It also claims the schemes may have pushed up the price of dental and optical benefits generally. Abolition of the schemes will save €92 million a year, it is claimed.
In response, the dental association has sent posters with the banner heading “Stop the Rot” to 1,000 dental surgeries around the country in the first shot of a campaign to oppose the cuts.
Association chief executive Fintan Hourihan said any move to abolish the scheme would have a serious impact on dental health and discourage people from having regular check ups. “Dentists have reacted with dismay to the idea that this scheme might be cut. We intend to fight vigorously to make people aware of the risk to the scheme which they’ve already paid for through their PRSI contributions.”
He pointed out that workers on the average industrial wage contribute €20 per week in PRSI contributions, while higher earners contribute up to €53 per week towards dental and other benefits.
Under the scheme, which is funded by employees paying PRSI, patients are entitled to a dental examination and two elementary teeth cleanings every year without charge. Discounts of up to 15 per cent are available to patients in addition to State assistance to cover their basic filling requirements.
It is estimated that there are three million visits to dental surgeries in Ireland each year.
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