At Dublin City Council’s latest meeting held last night 6th October, a motion tabled calling for the immediate cessation of water fluoridation in Ireland was debated and passed where DCC, the largest Council in the country (per capita over 500,000 people), adopted an anti fluoride position and further, will be calling on the Government to end Ireland’s mandatory water fluoridation policy with immediate effect.
The motion, tabled by Cllr Anthony Connaghan (SF) “That DCC calls on the Government to repeal the Health (Fluoridation of Water Supplies) Act 1960 and to make it an offence for anyone to add fluoride or any derivatives to the public water supply,” received cross party support from his Council colleagues.
The anti fluoride motion was tabled last July but due to two DCC meetings that were subsequently adjourned, the matter only arose for debate last night. Following intense lobbying from the IDA (irish Dentists Authority), WCFFC & FFT (West Cork Fluoride Free Campaign and Fluoride Free Towns) and other interests representing both sides of the debate, including Prof June Nunn (Dean of the School of Dental Science TCD, Dublin), Prof Martin Kinirons (Dean of Cork University Dental School and Hospital), Dr John Walsh (Dean, Faculty of Dentistry, RCSI) and Dr Peter Gannon (President Irish Dental Association), the motion was only marginally passed by 22 to 20 but will significantly add momentum to the national effort with another huge political step achieved by those campaigning for clean and safe water consequently becoming a bigger political strain for the Government after the County Council’s of Laois and Cork took similar positions earlier in the year.
Cllr Anthony Connaghan (SF) who proposed the anti fluoride motion who’s position was adopted by Dublin City Council was not available for comment but in an interview last July stated members of The Expert Body had previously attended a Dublin City Council meeting but only on the condition that they would not take any questions during their presentation!
The Lord Mayor of Dublin City, Cllr Christy Burke said he listened to both sides of the debate and abstained but that the motion passed.
Cllr Paul McAuliffe, leader of the Fianna Fail DCC delegation upon being contacted for comment said he voted against Cllr Connaghan’s motion and supported a second fluoride motion tabled by his FF party colleague, Cllr David Costello where the continued use of fluoride in the public water was proposed but failed to receive majority support.
Cllr Kieran Binchy, leader of the Fine Gael DCC delegation was not available for comment.
Cllr David Costello (FF) who proposed a motion in favour of fluoride said he supported the continued use of fluoride in the public water supply and supported the benefits this had for the people of Ireland. His motion however failed to receive necessary support of the council to adopt his motion.
Ms Marie Walsh, representative for the IDA (Irish Dentists Association) upon being contacted regarding DCC’s motion, stated the IDA had no comment.
Owen Boyden, Director of the West Cork Fluoride Free Campaign said, “DCC passing an anti fluoride motion puts the Irish Government under renewed political pressure to end their isolated and dangerous mandatory public water fluoridation policy which results in the medication without consent of the entire Irish population and continues to cause widespread cosmetic damage (fluorosis) to thousands of people around the country. Not one other European Government maintain a similar policy due to health, environmental, legal or ethical concerns. Violating human rights to consent before medication, bodily integrity and breaching European food and medicinal product directives, the policy continues to adversely effect public health in Ireland and poses one the biggest threats to our very valuable food and drinks industry the country has ever seen.”
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