Question from Deputy Paul Lawless - PQ 43343-26

To ask the Minister for Health the total number of children referred to HSE orthodontic services in each of the past five years; the number of those who attended assessment appointments; the number subsequently approved for treatment; the number refused on the grounds that their condition did not meet the required severity threshold; if he will provide a breakdown of these figures by region, including Merlin Park Hospital; and if he accepts that a high refusal rate following referral may indicate systemic inefficiencies and a misalignment between primary dental referrals and HSE eligibility criteria.