Vol. 410 No. 2
181 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the guidelines and standards which must be complied with for the testing of fluoride levels; if he will further outline (1) the current levels in mainstream water supplies and (2) the degree of supervision and monitoring of these levels which is maintained and by whom; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Regulations made under the Health (Fluoridation of Water Supplies) Act, 1960 (No. 46 of 1960) prescribe that the amount of fluoride which may be added to a water supply shall be such that the water, after the addition of the fluoride, shall contain not more than one part of fluoride per million parts of water, and not less than eight tenths of a part of fluoride per million parts of water. These regulations also prescribe that the fluoride content of fluoridated public water supplies shall be determined daily by a colorimetric method and, in addition, shall be determined by a distillation method at intervals not exceeding four weeks.
Returns made to my Department by health boards of the results of testing by the distillation method of fluoride levels in water supplies in 1990 indicated that a satisfactory level was achieved in 81 per cent of the tests carried out.
There has been considerable improvement in recent years in maintaining satisfactory levels of fluoride in water supplies. The fluoridation programme is continually monitored by my Department as well as at local level and improvements are recommended to be implemented when required.
At local level health boards through their directors of community care and medical officers of health have overall responsibility for the satisfactory operation of fluoridation programmes. Within each community care area responsibility for monitoring the general operation of the service is normally assigned to the principal dental officer. Local authorities have direct responsibility for the installation, maintenance and operation of fluoridation plants as agents for the health boards.
A general report on the fluoride levels of each fluoridated water supply is submitted by health boards to my Department on a quarterly basis.
