Clare Oireachtas Health Committee Members Calls For Dentist Mentorship Process To Be Simplified

A Clare Oireachtas Health Committee member insists the mentorship programme for dentists needs to be simplified amid widespread staff shortages in the sector. Senator Martin Conway has outlined a case in which a Clare-based qualified dentist from Ukraine is unable to enter into a mentorship with a local dental practitioner due to what he's described as a "frustrating" engagement process with the Dental Council of Ireland. There are currently just 14 dentists employed under the Dental Treatment Services Scheme in Clare, this number having dropped by over 25% from 19 since the start of the year. Ennistymon-based Fine Gael Senator Martin Conway says the process of becoming registered as a dentist needs to become less stringent in light of the sector's recruitment crisis.