The federal NDP are celebrating the newly announced Canadian Dental Care Plan.

Details of the plan were officially announced by the feds on Monday.

For years the NDP had been lobbying for a federally funded program. Initially, those efforts were voted down by both the Liberals and Conservatives.

Party President Mary Shortall was joined by former MP Jack Harris, as well as two people who will be benefitting from the program, earlier today at The HUB in St. John’s to celebrate the milestone.

Harris says seeing the plan come to fruition is “extremely exciting,” noting there are many people who will benefit.

Harris cites a recent statistic spoken about in the House of Commons, indicating that one quarter of school absenteeism is related to dental health problems.

He says the new program will help put an end to that.