asked the Minister for Health if his Department has received any report regarding the unusually high number of babies suffering from Down's Syndrome born to mothers in the Bawnogue area of Clondalkin between 1983 and 1986; and if his Department has investigated the reason this might have occurred.
Written Answers. - Down's Syndrome.
122.
My Department has received no specific report dealing with this area. However, over the past seven months, my Department has been involved in an epidemiological study of the incidence of Down's Syndrome to establish the presence or otherwise of geographical clustering of cases of this syndrome which, possibly, might be associated with an environmental factor.
I expect that the outcome of this study will be available towards the middle of next year.