Water Fluoridation

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 March 2012

Wednesday, 21 March 2012

Questions (594, 595)

Dessie Ellis

Question:

605 Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Health his plans to instruct local authorities to cease the fluoridation of drinking water until the Department of Health and his Department can be sure of the implications of this measure, particularly in view of the recommendations and findings of a number of reports including that by environmental scientist, Declan Waugh, outlining the human health risks, environmental impacts and legal implications of water fluoridation and the fact that no human health risk or environmental assessments have been undertaken on the commercial grades of silicofluorides used in water treatment in the State. [15642/12]

Finian McGrath

Question:

607 Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health his views on correspondence regarding fluoridation of water (details supplied). [15682/12]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health (Deputy Róisín Shortall)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 605 and 607 together.

I have received a copy of the recent Report to which the Deputies refer and I have asked the Irish Expert Body on Fluorides and Health to examine it.

The Forum on Fluoridation, which reported in 2002, advised that the fluoridation of piped public water supplies should continue as a public health measure. One of the recommendations of the Forum was to amend the Regulations regarding fluoridation of public water supplies to redefine the optimal level of fluoride in drinking water from 0.8 to 1.0 parts per million (ppm) to between 0.6 and 0.8 ppm. Regulations were introduced in 2007 to give legal effect to this change.

The Irish Expert Body on Fluorides and Health advises that the balance of scientific evidence worldwide confirms that water fluoridation, at the optimal level, does not cause any ill effects and continues to be safe and effective in protecting the oral health of all age groups. The report of the EU Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risks (SCHER), published in June 2011, has not made any findings of negative health or environmental effects concerning fluoridation of water. There are no plans to discontinue the policy of fluoridation of public water supplies, which continues to make an effective contribution to oral health in Ireland.