Vol. 552 No. 4
51 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Health and Children if he has now received the report of the Forum on Fluoridation which he said was expected before the end of November 2001; when the report will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12559/02]
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 members of 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 was originally to report in September 2001. As a result of foot and mouth disease precautions, the March 2001 meeting was cancelled and, consequently, a one month extension was approved to October 2001. I am informed by the chairman of the Forum on Fluoridation that a number of complex issues arose during the finalisation of the report. These caused a further delay due to the additional and unexpected workload involved.
The chairman of the forum has informed me that the work of the forum in relation to its report is being progressed. In the meantime, I will not pre-empt the recommendations of the forum.
