With Kildare voting against fluoridation of the county’s public water at its April meeting , a total of 32 councils now oppose the policy. Kildare joins Donegal , Leitrim, Longford and Sligo as well as Dublin Corporation all of whom agree with the 26 councils in Northern Ireland already opposed to the outdated and controversial measure. Another county has already tabled a motion for its next meeting similar to those passed in Kildare on Monday 30th April , indicating a growing national concern about a policy which Health Minister Martin continues to support .
Kildare Council cross-party motions resulted after hearing arguments by the Chief Dental Officer at the Department of Health , Dr Gerard Gavin , at its January meeting followed later in April by opposing arguments put by leading fluoride expert Dr Peter Mansfield , member of a Fluoride Working Group recently set up by the UK National Health Service , and by Robert Pocock of Voice of Irish Concern for the Environment . VOICE has called for fluoridation to be stopped immediately
The thrust of the opposing arguments put to councillors was that fluoride levels in individuals in both fluoridated regions such as Kildare are already too high as demonstrated by Dr Mansfield using test results in both unfluoridated and fluoridated parts of the UK . Dr Mansfield explained ” Some of these high levels are associated with complaints from bone problems to Irritable Bowel Syndrome ; if the patient can reduce fluoride intake or cut it down to a minimum , symptoms disappear in a matter of weeks or months “. Coincidentally a councillor confirmed to the chamber that his own IBS problems were cured in this very manner.
Motions from Senator John Dardis (PD s) and Emmet Stagg TD ( LABOUR ) that the EPA check fluoride content in the water supplies , the Health Board carry out tests to check fluoride levels in individuals in the county and that in keeping with the Precautionary Principle the planned new fluoridation schemes be deferred in the meantime were carried without division.
” Recognising the dearth of information on individuals’ fluoride levels in the county ” said VOICE spokesman Robert Pocock, ” Dr Mansfield has generously agreed to provide all 25 councillors with free kits to measure fluoride levels from urine samples . If they are returned promptly to his UK laboratory , results could be available for the next council meeting ” he added saying ” these will be the first clear indication of the fluoride levels in the residents of county Kildare ” .
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