David Norris (Independent)

It would do them good. It would certainly save the Exchequer money.

I am a little concerned about the question of fluoridation. I have been contacted by people who have far more information on the matter than I have. We have certain medical personnel of various kinds in this House. I have received a press release from the Irish Medical News, stating that parents in Ireland who make up formula with tap water give their children seven times the safe level of fluoride, as agreed by the British Medical Association. The Minister for Health and Children has told the Dáil that if fluoride is to have any ill-effects, a newborn baby weighing 3kg would have to ingest 15mg of fluoride, which would be 176 times more than the safe fluoride level agreed by the British Medical Association. I would like to know who is wrong. Are infants in this country in danger of being poisoned, or is the British Medical Association wrong? It would be useful for Senators to get advice on this matter from the Minister for Health and Children and some of our medical colleagues in this House.