Dr. Dympna Kavanagh:

I have one final point to make on water fluoridation. It is important to note that national surveys in Ireland are carried out across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. When we compare Northern Ireland with the Republic, we can see there is a distinct difference in the outcomes relating to oral health. The argument would always have been that Northern Ireland had a much more accessible health service than we have, but we benefited enormously from water fluoridation compared with Northern Ireland. That is a very clear-cut comparison for us.