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Dental Scheme “reaching crisis point” – councillor

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A Killarney Councillor is calling on the Council to urgently intervene in the Dental Medical Card Scheme which he says "is reaching crisis point".

Cllr John O'Donoghue, who said that he has spoken to numerous dentists in recent weeks about this issue, is calling on the Council to contact the Minister for Health and the HSE as many dental practices are refusing to take on new patients due to it being financially unviable.

"They paint a very bleak picture of the problem which has hit crisis point," he said.

"The Dental Medical Card Scheme has not been updated in years and it has led to a situation whereby it is no longer financially feasible for dentists to take on patients who are on the scheme. Some are still seeing their original patients but not taking on any new cases, while many more have simply stopped treating any patient who comes in to them with a Medical Card. It has led to a situation whereby I do not believe that at present, there is any dentist in the county of Kerry taking on new patients who wish to use their Medical Card."

He said that in recent weeks he rang dentists in Killarney, Tralee, Cahersiveen, Kenmare, Killorglin, Listowel, Dingle and many more in between.

Operating at a loss

"I could not find any who were willing to take on a new patient who wishes to use their Medical Card. The fault in this issue lies not with the dentists, as although I am not a businessman, I know the quickest way to go out of business is to operate at a loss. Indeed, I have huge sympathy for all who work in the dental surgeries in our county and beyond because this is a nationwide problem, as they are the people who have to face members of the public and tell them they can’t give them the treatment they so badly need. Many unfortunate people when faced with being unable to use their Medical Card for their treatment, and being unable to afford to pay for the treatment privately, are now opting to suffer the indignity of having the offending tooth or teeth extracted rather than treated. This is an appalling situation and I am horrified to think that any individual living in our county or country would be treated so poorly. It is a shocking indictment on the HSE that such a situation would still exist in 2022, and I call on the Minister for Health and the relevant bodies to intervene immediately and revise the scheme without delay."

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Chamber pays tribute to late Dick Henggeler

Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce has expressed condolences following the death of Dick Henggeler, the well-known owner of The Rose Hotel in Tralee. Mr Henggeler passed away peacefully at […]

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Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce has expressed condolences following the death of Dick Henggeler, the well-known owner of The Rose Hotel in Tralee.

Mr Henggeler passed away peacefully at his home in Baltimore, USA surrounded by his Aghadoe-born wife Eibhlin (née Moriarty), their son Franz, and other family members.
Dick and Eibhlin purchased The Rose Hotel in 2015 in tribute to their late daughter Dorothy, who represented Washington DC in the 2011 Rose of Tralee Festival.
The Chamber said Mr Henggeler would be remembered for his warmth, good nature and positive approach, as well as for being a forward-thinking and knowledgeable businessman.
“He knew how to run a good hotel and that was and still is very obvious at The Rose Hotel, which is a great success story,” the Chamber said.
It added that continuity of ownership will remain in place, with Eibhlin, Franz, daughter-in-law Amber, and grandchildren Conrad and Rowan continuing to honour Dick’s legacy and vision for the hotel.
“Dick took enormous personal pride in Tralee and all of Kerry and he was always available to generously support any community initiative or endeavour undertaken in Killarney,” the Chamber said.
“He will be greatly missed by all that knew him but he leaves a wonderful legacy.”

He will repose at O’Shea’s Funeral Home, Killarney, on Friday (October 17), from 4:00pm to 6:00pm. The funeral will arrive at St Mary’s Cathedral on Saturday morning at 10:00am for Requiem Mass at 10:30am, with burial afterwards in Aghadoe Cemetery. The Requiem Mass will be live streamed at https://www.churchservices.tv/killarneycathedral.

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Beaufort Film Night returns with French drama-comedy

Beaufort Film Night will return on Friday (October 17) at Cullina National School, with a screening of the French drama-comedy The Marching Band. The film tells the story of Thibaut, […]

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Beaufort Film Night will return on Friday (October 17) at Cullina National School, with a screening of the French drama-comedy The Marching Band.

The film tells the story of Thibaut, a successful conductor recently diagnosed with leukaemia. A search for a bone marrow donor reveals that he was adopted and has a brother, Jimmy, a cafeteria worker.
The two meet, discover a shared love of music, and form a strong bond through an unexpected collaboration with Jimmy’s workplace band.
The Marching Band (French title En Fanfare) will screen at 8.30pm. Admission is €7, cash only, and will cover the motion picture licence fee.
The film has a 12A rating and is in French with English subtitles.
Beaufort Film Night is a non-profit community group that screens cultural English and international films that usually do not receive general release in Kerry.
The event is supported by Kerry County Council Arts Office and Access Cinema. Cullina National School is providing the venue.
Further details are available on Beaufort Film Night’s Facebook page @BeaufortFilmNight.

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