Vol. 540 No. 1
291 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to the outcome of tests for fluoride carried out on a group of Kildare county councillors; the action he proposes to take to enforce section 6 of the Health (Fluoridation of Water Supplies) Act, 1960; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20078/01]
I have been made aware of the outcome of the recent urinary fluoride level tests carried out on a group of Kildare county councillors.
The tests were carried out in a homeopathic practice and need to be interpreted with caution. Unless such tests are carried out by an internationally accredited laboratory under strictly controlled conditions the results may be subject to error.
The fluoride levels in water supplies in Ireland are controlled by regulation. There is a comprehensive system of monitoring by local authorities and health boards to ensure that the level of fluoride in the water supply does not exceed the limit recommended by the World Health Organisation of 1,000 micrograms per litre.
The annual report of the Environmental Protection Agency confirms that over 99.75% of analyses of Irish water supplies are within the EU limit of 1,500 micrograms per litre of water and 94% are within the stricter Irish limit of 1,000 micrograms per litre. The later level is recommended by the World Health Organisation for protecting teeth against tooth decay.
A major research project measuring fluoride ingestion in the Irish population is being carried out at the Oral Health Services Research Centre NUI, University College Cork. The report will be published in 2002.
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 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 has invited submissions from the public.
The forum's interim report, which is available on its web site (http://www.fluoridationforum.ie), gives details of the forum's progress to the end of 2000. A further progress report has been prepared by the forum's rapporteur and is also available on the aforementioned website. The forum will present its recommendations to me at the end of October 2001.
