John Gilroy (Labour) | Oireachtas source

To suggest that because I say this, I am wrong, points to the lack of evidence in the Senator's argument. All our deliberations here should be based on evidential experience and empirical measurements, but we do not have any of that. To say that the Government is so concerned about the effect of fluoridation of water on health that we are prepared to put it in our legislation and send it off to be deliberated upon at the consultative forum elevates the argument to something it is not. At present, there is nothing to stop the consultative forum from discussing the fluoridation of water and it would probably be good if it did that, but I believe it would be a mistake to underpin that in legislation.