Clare Daly
Question:250. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health if he will document the public moneys spent on fluoridation of the water supply between 2006 and 2012 inclusive. [9426/13]
View answerThursday, 21 February 2013
Questions (250, 251)
Clare Daly
Question:251. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the company or companies that supply fluoride to the State; where the fluoride, natural and synthetic, is added to the water and sourced. [9427/13]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 250 and 251 together.
The estimated annual expenditure by the HSE on fluoridation for 2006 -2012 inclusive is as follows:
|
Year |
Expenditure €m(excluding VAT on hydrofluosilicic acid) |
|
2006 |
3.25 |
|
2007 |
3.39 |
|
2008 |
3.56 |
|
2009 |
3.90 |
|
2010 |
4.78 |
|
2011 |
3.68 |
|
2012 |
3.52 |
The costs include hydrofluosilicic acid - the chemical used for fluoridating water, operational costs and some minor capital costs.The fluoride is sourced as a primary product in Spain, mined directly from a raw material source - the mineral fluorospar. It goes through a purification process to conform to tightly controlled specifications to produce hydrofluosilicic acid. This process is conducted by a company in Spain - Derivados del Fluor. Chemifloc Ltd. is the company contracted by the HSE for the supply and delivery of hydrofluosilicic acid for the purpose of water fluoridation. The fluoride is added to the public water supplies at water treatment plants throughout the country by the local authorities acting as agents for the health authorities as provided for in the Health (Fluoridation of Water Supplies) Act 1960.