IDA to seek early meeting with health minister

Irish Dental Association (IDA) chief executive, Fintan Hourihan, has said that he expects little to change under the new minister for health, Mary Coughlan.

Following Mary Harney’s resignation as minister for health and children, and with Mary Coughlan now at the helm of the health portfolio, Fintan Hourihan told Irish Dentist: ‘While we wish the new minister every success in her new appointment, we do not see that there is much prospect of any of the recent savage cutbacks in state support for dentistry being reversed ahead of the general election.

‘On the appointment of a new government, we will be pressing for an early meeting with the minister for health and children to discuss the long delayed oral health strategy and to renew a proper working relationship between government and the dental profession to address the grave damage done to the promotion of oral health in recent years.’

Mary Harney resigned on the evening of 19 January after six-and-a-half years in office.

Mary Coughlan will remain as minister for health and children at least until 25 February.