Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 7 Nov 2000

Vol. 525 No. 2

Written Answers. - Water Fluoridation.

Ivan Yates

Question:

214 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will review the current policy of fluoridation of the public water supply; the annual cost of the fluoridation programme for 2000 and for each of the past three years; if his attention has been drawn to the increasing health concerns about this policy; if Ireland is the only state in Europe to implement such a policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22701/00]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin):

The safety and effectiveness of water fluoridation as a public health measure have been evaluated frequently by the World Health Organisation and other reputable authorities, such as the Health Research Council of the United States, and concerns about adverse health effects have not been substantiated. In October 1999, the faculty of public health medicine of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland issued a report which endorsed the safety and effectiveness of water fluoridation. All of the reputable scientific evidence confirms the safety of fluoride when it is available in public piped water supplies at the optimal levels. These levels are the same as those required under the Health (Fluoridation of Water Supplies) Act, 1960.

Nevertheless I considered it timely to set up a forum on fluoridation with terms of reference as follows: to review the fluoridation of public piped water supplies and the programme of research being undertaken on behalf of health boards in the area; and to report and to make recommendations to the Minister for Health and Children.

The forum is comprised largely of persons with expert knowledge spanning the areas of public health, dental health, food safety, environmental protection, ethics, water quality and health promotion. Environmental interests have been invited but so far have declined. The forum will invite submissions from the public. The forum has already met on a number of occasions under the chairmanship of Professor Pat Fottrell. I hope to have an interim report from the forum by the end of this year.

The Republic of Ireland, United Kingdom, Spain and Switzerland all have fluoridated piped public water supplies. In this country, because of circumstances such as its geographical size and water distribution system, it was feasible to implement water fluoridation on a nationwide basis. Other countries did not have this advantage. A number of countries have fluoridated salt on the market as an alternative means of fluoridation.

The fluoridation programme in Ireland is the statutory responsibility of the health boards. The following information which I received from the health boards in October, 2000 outlines the total costs to the boards of the fluoridation programme:

Estimated Total Cost of the Fluoridation Programme

Expected Cost			Actual Cost
	2000	1999	1998	1997
	£	£	£	£
Capital	107,000	39,351.56	184,368.32	110,454.37
*Revenue	1,265,489.70	1,215,093.15	1,190,998.14	1,105,796.05

*Revenue figures include cost of the supply of the hydrofluosilicic acid and all overheads including payments to local authorities for agency services etc.

The revenue cost for the North Eastern Health Board for 1997 is unavailable.