Cecilia Keaveney
Question:317 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for Health and Children the position regarding the recently appointed committee which is looking into fluoridation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23098/01]
Written Answers. - Forum on Fluoridation.
I established the forum on fluoridation in May 2000. 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, health promotion and representatives from the consumer and environmental areas. The forum held its first meeting in September 2000.
The terms of reference of the forum are 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 to the Minister.
The forum invited the public to forward their views on the issues under consideration and received in excess of 1,000 submissions, each of which has been examined individually.
The forum's web site (http://www.fluoridation
forum.ie), gives details of the forum's progress. The forum is due to present its recommendations to me at the end of this month.