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 practicioner 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.
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