3.—(1) The Department shall by order make transitional provision in respect of persons who, immediately before the coming into operation of section 2, are providing services under Article 61 of the Order of 1972 (general dental services).
(2) An order under this section may provide that, in such circumstances as the order may prescribe, a Health and Social Services Board shall, if any such person so wishes, enter into a general dental services contract with that person; and the order may make provision as to the terms of any such contract.
(3) An order under this section may provide that, in such circumstances as the order may prescribe, a Health and Social Services Board shall, if any such person so wishes, enter into a contract with that person, containing such terms as the order may specify, for the provision of dental services.
(4) An order under this section may make provision for the resolution of disputes in relation to any contract entered into, or proposed to be entered into, under subsection (2) or (3), including provision for the determination of disputes by the Department or a person appointed by it.
(5) An order under this section may make provision in respect of a period beginning before the coming into operation of the provision (or of section 2), provided that the provision is not as a whole detrimental to the remuneration of the persons to whom it relates.
(6) In this section “general dental services contract” means a contract under Article 61 of the Order of 1972 (as inserted by section 2).
(7) An order made under this section shall be subject to negative resolution.