Sinn Féin TD for Cavan-Monaghan, Matt Carthy, has said the latest figures released to him by the HSE expose “the extent of the unacceptable failure” in children’s healthcare.
Figures revealed that hundreds of children across Cavan and Monaghan are waiting years for orthodontic treatment while the true scale of unmet need is likely to be significantly worse due to a lack of assessments.
In Co Cavan alone, 83 children have already been waiting for more than two years for orthodontic treatment, while a further 41 have been waiting between one year and eighteen months and another 25 between eighteen months and two years.
There are also 24 adults waiting for over two years.
Elsewhere in Co Monaghan, the figures show that 84 children and 14 adults have already been waiting for more than two years.
Those figures are comparable with neighbouring Louth, where 156 children are waiting over two years, despite Louth having almost four times Monaghan’s population.
Speaking in the Dail, Deputy Carthy said the figures provided to him by the HSE paints a deeply worrying picture for families across Cavan and Monaghan awaiting Orthodontic treatment.
He said the recruitment and retention crisis in public dental and orthodontic services must be addressed as a matter of urgency.
Speaking in the Dail, Deputy Carthy said: "The most shocking revelation isn’t actually the waiting list figures themselves.
"The HSE admits that very few orthodontic assessments have been carried out in Dundalk over the past two years because of recruitment vacancies. That means the waiting list for Monaghan does not reflect the true level of need. The HSE openly acknowledges that assessments have effectively stalled and are only due to recommence in the coming months.
"In other words, there are undoubtedly many more children in Monaghan whose orthodontic needs have not even been formally assessed yet. Families have been left waiting just to get onto a waiting list.
"That is an extraordinary admission and points to an urgent need for government intervention.
"I have repeatedly raised the crisis in dental and orthodontic services in Cavan and Monaghan. Sinn Féin has consistently highlighted the chronic staffing shortages, the recruitment difficulties and the failure of Fianna Fáil & Fine Gael to properly invest in community dental services.
"We know the consequences of these failures. Children are left living with discomfort, pain and avoidable dental problems. Teenagers are forced to endure years of embarrassment and reduced confidence. Parents watch helplessly as treatment is repeatedly delayed.
"For those families who can afford it, many feel they have no option but to turn to private orthodontic treatment, often costing several thousand euro. Many others simply cannot afford that choice and are left with no alternative but to wait indefinitely. Access to essential orthodontic care should never depend on a family’s income."
