Vol. 545 No. 5
65 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Health and Children his views on the likelihood that the fluoride forum will recommend a continuation of fluoridation in its report; when he expects the report to be published and debated in Dáil Éireann; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30936/01]
I established the Forum on Fluoridation in May 2000. The forum is comprised largely of persons with expert knowledge spanning the areas of public health, dental health, food safety, environmental protection, ethics, water quality, health promotion and representatives from the consumer and environmental areas. The forum held its first meeting in September 2000.
The terms of reference of the forum are as follows: to review the fluoridation of public piped water supplies and the programme of research being undertaken on behalf of health boards in the area; and to report to the Minister.
The forum invited the public to forward their views on the issues under consideration and received in excess of 1,000 submissions, each of which has been examined individually. The forum's web site – http://www.fluoridationforum.ie – gives details of the forum's progress.
The chairman of the forum has informed me that he expects to present the forum's report to me in the near future. In the meantime, I will not pre-empt the outcome of its deliberations.
Question No. 66 answered with Question No. 63.
