A six-year-old autistic boy in Bonmahon, Waterford who faced a 10-year wait for vital dental treatment has secured an appointment.

Tiernan Power-Murphy’s parents raised their fears on WLR this week, which led to phone calls from senior HSE officials and a commitment from Taoiseach Micheál Martin for “immediate” action.

Tiernan first began having toothache in October. He needs to have three teeth extracted, but his parents had been unable to find a dentist to carry out the work despite desperate efforts.

His father Eamon says no child should have to go through such a wait for treatment.

“It’s fantastic to be sorted but the only reason we were fighting this much is that we don’t want this to happen to some other child down the road. Hopefully, something will be put in place quickly. If Tiernan needs this again down the road, he cannot go through this again. This should carve a pathway for the future for other families so they don’t have to see their children suffering. That’s what this is all about.”

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