Seanad Eireann 19th June 2001 STATEMENT BY SENATOR AVRIL DOYLE
NO TO FLUORIDATED WATER IN INFANT FORMULA
98% of European countries say no to water fluoridation
73% of Irish public drinking water is fluoridated
Irish scientists at Odds with International best practice
2,000 gallons of fluoride cocktail pumped into our drinking water each day
"The failure of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland to carry out a risk
assessment on fluoride in water in Ireland is inexplicable", Fine Gael
Senator and MEP Avril Doyle said today in the Seanad debate on fluoridation.
"How can the FSAI rationally disclaim all responsibility for risk assessment
of fluoride which is added to public water supplies while charged with
providing advice to the Government on the safety aspects of fluoride
exposure from food and drink? What about the issue of food and infant
drinks for babies? Water from public sources is used by most parents in
preparing infant formula and yet the FSAI say they have no responsibility
for risk assessment in this area. There is 1 mg fluoride per litre in
public drinking water and the British Medical Association says this is 3 to
6 times the recommended safe limit for infants.
"I am asking the Minister for Health to immediately amend the
Recommendations endorsing the use of fluoridated water in reconstituting
infant formula and in particular to make it known to all parents that the
use of fluoridated water for ingestion by infants is not recommended and on
a precautionary principal basis should be avoided.
"On this issue the Food Safety Authority of Ireland has failed the public
they should be servicing because they are not giving parents the benefit of
best international advice and all of the facts", stated Mrs. Doyle.
