Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 603: To ask the Minister for Health his views on the fact that 98% of Europe has now rejected fluoridation, the fact that many medical experts throughout the world have strongly voiced their opposition to the adding of fluoride to water supplies; his plans to put an end to this practice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15606/12]

Noel Harrington (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 608: To ask the Minister for Health if he intends to make any changes to rules governing the fluoridation of public water supplies here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15683/12]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 603 and 608 together.

The Forum on Fluoridation, which reported in 2002, advised that the fluoridation of piped public water supplies should continue as a public health measure. One of the recommendations of the Forum was to amend the Regulations regarding fluoridation of public water supplies to redefine the optimal level of fluoride in drinking water from 0.8 to 1.0 parts per million (ppm) to between 0.6 and 0.8 ppm. Regulations were introduced in 2007 to give legal effect to this change.

The Irish Expert Body on Fluorides and Health advises that the balance of scientific evidence worldwide confirms that water fluoridation, at the optimal level, does not cause any ill effects and continues to be safe and effective in protecting the oral health of all age groups. e report of the EU Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risks (SCHER), published in June 2011, has not made any findings of negative health or environmental effects concerning fluoridation of water. ere are no plans to discontinue the policy of fluoridation of public water supplies, which continues to make an effective contribution to oral health in Ireland.