Speech by Dr Michael P. Mortell,
President, University College Cork
at the Conferring ofDental Degrees and Diplomas and Nursing Degrees, Thursday 26 June 1997.

Two years ago the University Dental School and Hospital commenced a major staffing recruitment phase with the appointment of two new Professors, one in the Department of Restorative Dentistry and one in the Department of Dental Surgery. The recruitment of professional staff continues and in the past year four new Lectureship posts, one full-time and three part-time, have been processed.

Over the last few years the demand for continuing and post-graduate education for dentists, dental hygienists and dental nurses has increased considerably. In particular there is a growing demand for continuing education by dentists especially for practical courses in which new techniques are added to their range of skills. The Dental School and Hospital, in collaboration with the Post-Graduate Medical and Dental Board, is responding to these new demands. Plans are well advanced for the establishment of new post graduate courses - a Masters in Dental Public Health, will commence in October 1997. The recruitment of new staff will be a key factor in the School's ability to respond to this growing demand for continuing and post-graduate education.

The staff in the Dental School and Hospital continues to provide consultant services for eligible patients in the southern half of the country. The University is keen to co-operate with health boards in the provision of specialist and consultant services for eligible patients, and because of its specialist functions the Dental School and Hospital attracts highly skilled and experience clinicians. Clearly it is important that these skills be made available to the different Health Boards.

Research activity in the Dental School and Hospital continues to prosper. The Dental School and Hospital has had a very high success rate in attracting EU funds. Last year the Oral Health Services Research Centre successfully competed for a major EU grant in which research groups from 7 EU countries are involved; the consortium is led by the UCC group. The Centre also continues to carry out projects on behalf of the oral health care industry. Currently the Centre is involved in carrying out projects for the Southern, South-Eastern, Mid-Western and North-Western Health Boards and has just completed 3 major studies for the Southern, the Eastern and the North-Eastern Health Boards.

Today, we also confer a Diploma in Dental Hygiene and a Degree in Nursing. These important new developments indicate the increasing relevance of the university, and the expertise it contains, to all areas of health care. We in UCC are very pleased to welcome into our graduate fold the alumni of these programmes. It is of strategic importance to UCC that we have a broadly based portfolio of courses which underpin the health care sector, and I am personally very pleased to see these graduates here. There is no doubt that the practice of Medicine and Dentistry for the benefit of the larger population must be a team effort - where all the skills and training are brought to bear in the most appropriate mode to provide cost efficient, effective health care. It must be recognised that every role, though distinct, is an important role.