Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On the quality of drinking water and the national spatial strategy, I earnestly request that the Minister of State convey my deep concerns to the Minister for Health on water fluoridation, an issue that will come to haunt this Government or one of its successors. For the past 30 years, successive Governments have kicked water fluoridation to touch. At some stage, to use rugby parlance, it will be necessary to call in the TMO - television match official - to take a second look at the issue. This may result in our policy on water fluoridation being subject to significant change. I do not intend to speak ad nauseam on the issue or repeat my earlier comments. As a layperson, I have deep concerns, as do many others, about water fluoridation. The practice is no longer popular and the excuse offered by the Minister for Health for continuing with it is unsatisfactory. When the issue was debated in the Seanad some months ago many Senators expressed concern about current policy. I ask the Minister of State to convey these concerns to the Minister for Health.

It is not that we are stuck for water but that our management of the water system has been extremely poor historically. It will take at least 30 years to perfect the system, by which point Dublin, which is running out of water, may have to consider desalination or more drastic options.