Vol. 549 No. 2
95 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will make a statement on the health implications arising from new findings by a person (details supplied) which confirmed fears of a possible significant overdosing or underdosing of fluoride in drinking water in the south-east region, as reported in a publication (details supplied). [6164/02]
I established a 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 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 chairman of the forum has informed me that a paper based on the findings of Mr. Parle was presented to the forum on fluoridation. The study carried out by Mr. Parle is essentially a risk assessment of fluoridation plant performance in the south eastern region with recommendations. I understand that the report of the forum on fluoridation, which is being finalised at present, will take into account Mr. Parle's submission. I also note that on behalf of the health boards, Trinity College Dublin is already conducting an analysis of water fluoride delivery systems nationally and has been asked as part of this research to make recommendations on a quality assurance programme for water fluoridation plants.
