Town councils in Cork have joined Kerry County Council in calling for a public review of water fluoridation in Ireland, following the publication of a new report.

In a 360-page report, Bandon-based environmental auditor Declan Waugh found that babies fed with formula mixed with fluoridated water were at particular risk. “No child under the age of three should be exposed to fluoride,” he said. “They don’t even have teeth.

The Risk Assessment of Water Fluoridation report says fluoride is a known risk factor in a series of health problems particularly prevalent in Ireland, including neurological and cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and skeletal muscular disorders.

Ireland is the only EU member state with a legislative policy to add fluoride to the water supply. “The incidence of these diseases in Ireland is far above the global average,” Mr Waugh added.

“Ireland has twice the global average of osteoporosis, one of the highest levels in the world of childhood epilepsy and certain type of cancers associated with the digestive tract, including cancer of the liver, kidney, stomach and intestinal cancer.”

Bandon and Kinsale town councils have agreed to ask the Minister for Health to review water fluoridation immediately.

Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan said last November that he “trusted the processes in place”.

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