- Music
- 06 Nov 13
An announcement is likely in the Dáil today, Hot Press has learned.
Hot Press understands that the Irish government is set to announce a complete review of the policy of mandatory water fluoridation.
Sources within the Department of Health have indicated that the Minister with responsibility for fluoridation policy, Alex White or his senior colleague James Reilly, will make the announcement in the Dáil today.
The announcement is likely to come in answer to private members questions which have been tabled for discussion today. Among these are two questions from Mary Mitchell O'Connor, the Fine Gael TD for Dun Laoghaire. The full text of the questions reads as follows:
Chun an Aire Sláinte: To the Minister for Health.
*154. To ask the Minister for Health the annual cost of the fluoridation of water supplies for the constituency of Dun Laoghaire and the four local authorities of Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. — Mary Mitchell O’Connor. [47326/13]
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*179. To ask the Minister for Health the health benefits associated with the fluoridation of water supplies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. — Mary Mitchell O’Connor. [47327/13]
Any announcement would be a vindication of the campaign which Hot Press has been running, arguing for the cessation of the policy of mandatory fluoridation of the water supply. Our new issue, due to hit the streets tomorrow, contains a further report written by campaigning journalist Adrienne Murphy, highlighting new information which became available at a recent conference on fluoride in Iran, attended by the Irish scientist Declan Waugh – who has been central to the campaign against fluoride in Ireland. Declan Waugh was a keynote speaker at the Teheran conference.
Earlier this year, Israel announced a complete cessation of water fluoridation, following a decision in the Israeli Supreme Court, which effectively outlawed the practice.
Watch out for updates during the day.