asked the Minister for Health the total amount spent by his Department in the last year in newspaper advertising of the rules of good dental hygiene.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dental Hygiene: Cost of Advertising.
4.
Mr. Ryan
My Department in the last financial year has not adopted the medium mentioned in the question. Instead, in co-operation with the Department of Social Welfare, it has issued an instructional leaflet to the heads of young families and has arranged for supplies of this leaflet to be available to health authorities and dentists for distribution to young persons and their parents.
In addition, a film on dental care which was made specially has been extensively shown to school children through the health film shows which are provided by the National Film Institute, acting as my agent.
Last year also, extensive use was made by the Department of Posts and Telegraphs of a postal franking slogan advocating dental hygiene.
I may say that it is my intention to avail more extensively in the future of the newspapers to bring home to the general public the striking advantage which the fluoridation of public water supplies will confer on their children.
Mr. Ryan
Will the Minister state the cost of the pamphlet and the film and how much public money he intends to expend upon the publicity programme he has in mind?
As to the amount of public money which must be expended to counteract the misleading propaganda with which the Deputy has associated himself, I am not prepared to put any limit on the amount. They are two separate questions to which, if the Deputy will put them down on the Order Paper, I shall reply.
Mr. Ryan
Is it not open to the Minister to use the same methods of propaganda as those who oppose fluoridation instead of using public money to support his side of the argument?
That is another matter.
The Oireachtas have decided that a certain expedient will be adopted to deal with this problem of dental caries. My responsibility is to carry out the wishes of the people as expressed through their representatives in the Oireachtas.
Mr. Ryan
Even if unconstitutional?