To ask the Minister of Health to outline why earnings from pilot personal dental services for health service work is not being treated as eligible earnings for purposes of maternity pay, contrary to the definition of gross earnings under Determination 5 of the Statement of Dental Remuneration 2025.

Gross earnings as defined in the under Determination 5 of the Statement of Dental Remuneration 2025 refer to payments made to General Dental Practitioners for the provision of General Dental Services (GDS) or pilot Personal Dental Services (PDS). As a result, any payments made to an individual General Dental Practitioner under a pilot PDS contribute to Maternity pay and other such benefits.

However, GDS and some pilot PDS schemes also include payments made to a practice rather than a practitioner. These practice-based payments do not contribute to maternity pay or other benefits.

Personal Dental Services Pilots are commissioned under various arrangements, determined during the development stage of each pilot. Full consideration is given to how payment arrangements impact upon practice and practitioner payments and allowances, as this will impact the overall cost, informing the decision on whether or not the pilot is ultimately commissioned.

The payment arrangements for any pilot will be clearly defined in advance of any General Dental Practitioner agreeing to participate.