Sinn Féin TD Imelda Munster Slams ‘Crisis’ in School Dental Check Scheme as 2,899 Louth Children Await Treatment
Sinn Féin TD for Louth and East Meath, Imelda Munster, has expressed outrage over the ‘collapse’ of the school dental check scheme, which has left 2,899 children waiting for treatment in Co.Louth.
Sinn Féin TD for Louth and East Meath, Imelda Munster, has expressed outrage over the ‘collapse’ of the school dental check scheme, which has left 2,899 children waiting for treatment in Co.Louth. According to figures revealed in a parliamentary question, 2,899 children in 6th class national schools in Louth are on the waiting list for the 2023/2024 school year.
Deputy Munster criticized the Dental Treatment Service Scheme (DTSS) for its inability to provide adequate care, stating, “The DTSS has collapsed in recent years, forcing other public dental services to handle emergency cases. Currently, the scheme can only target 6th class children for routine dental checks due to limited resources.”
Munster highlighted the significant backlog, noting that the service is nearly three years behind in Louth and Meath, targeting the 2021-2022 6th class cohort. She emphasized the importance of these checks for early diagnosis and treatment of dental issues, calling the situation “totally unacceptable” under the current government.
