HSE fails to quash dentists

On Friday 9 July, the Supreme Court restored the High Court injunction restraining the Health Service Executive (HSE) from unilaterally varying its contract with two dentists under the medical card dental scheme.


The Irish Dental Association (IDA) has warmly welcomed the decision by the Supreme Court and is fully supporting Dr Martin Reid and Dr James Turner’s case against the HSE.



The IDA believes that if the HSE is allowed to restrict the medical card dental scheme so that only limited emergency dental treatment is provided, it will have a devastating effect on the 1.6 million medical card holders.

Fintan Hourihan, CEO of the IDA, commented the Association was extremely concerned about the implications of these cuts for these patients, the dental health of the country as a whole and the dentists who made this scheme work so efficiently and effectively.



He said: ‘Three months ago we described the HSE’s move as unsafe, unworkable and unethical. We said it would hit the most vulnerable in our society as well as setting back the dental health of the nation by decades. We also said that the cuts did not make any financial sense, as every case of delayed treatment would require hugely expensive treatment in future years. The IDA welcomes the Supreme Court’s decision today and hopefully this will concentrate minds in the HSE.’