John Gilroy (Labour) | Oireachtas source

The purported health risk inherent in fluoridation gives rise to public concern. In seconding the Government amendment to the motion, it is important to state clearly that it is the opinion of the Government and our health advisers that there is no health risk involved in the fluoridation of the public drinking water. For us to agree to a review would certainly undermine public confidence and therefore the Government will not be supporting Senator Norris's proposed review. However, as Senator Mooney mentioned, the expert group on fluoride and health has the situation under continual review. We will be advised by this impartial and expert group. Fluoride was first added to public drinking water 65 years ago and the undoubted benefits have been alluded to already. I have received some representations on the motions in recent days. Some of them exhorted me to ignore the advice given by the expert group and Government advisers on the matter and perhaps come up with some other independent advice. I read the expert group report and the report of the then Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Martin. The argument needs to be made in the most robust terms that apart from some evidence of dental fluorosis, there is no known health risk through the use of fluoride in the public drinking water.

Some of the evidence used in Mr. Waugh's report is said by the expert group to be selective and to misinterpret much of what has been said. It goes so far as to state that it appears that some of the views expressed in Mr. Waugh's report are at variance with those of the authors of the same reports. While I acknowledge that at more than 300 pages, it is a substantial body of work and must be commended, it might not be as complete as perhaps it should be.

Senator Mooney referred to the pros and cons of the argument and I will not repeat what he said.

I will merely compare areas where there is fluoridation of water and areas where such is not public policy. One place very close to home where there is fluoridation of water is here in the South of Ireland and, as Senator Cullinane will undoubtedly tell us, there is no fluoridation of water as public policy in the North of Ireland. The evidence of the benefits is quite clear, that even today there are between 30% and 50% fewer dental caries in the South than there are in the North.

We need to look at the evidence provided by the authorities. Senator Norris stated that dietary sugar is the cause of dental caries. No doubt it is a significant cause of dental caries. We must look at the context in which fluoridation is used to combat the adverse effects of a high dietary intake of sugar in countries such as Ireland, which has a dietary intake of over 40% more than countries such as Norway, for instance, where they do not-----