Minutes of proceedings of the Plenary Meeting of the Irish Expert Body on Fluorides and Health held in the Boardroom, Corrigan House, Fenian Street, Dublin 2 
on Wednesday, 25th March 2009

Present:	Dr Seamus O’Hickey (Chairman), Dr Brian O’Herlihy (Vice-Chair), Dr Wayne Anderson, Councillor Jack Bourke, Mr Roger Harrington, Mr Colm Keenan, Mr Michael Kilcoyne, Mr Denis Lyons, Mr Stephen McDermott, Dr Joe Mullen, Dr Máire O’Connor, Dr Margaret Shannon 

In attendance: 	Ms Patricia Gilsenan-O’Neill, Ms Etain Kett, Ms Pheena Kenny, Secretariat

Apologies:	Professor John Clarkson, Ms Hillary Coates, Mr Chris Fitzgerald, Professor Denis O’Mullane, Mr Ray Parle, Mr Rowland Reece

EB Minute 01/09:  Apologies
Apologies for the meeting were noted.

EB Minute 02/09:  Minutes of the last meeting (29th October 2008)
These minutes were agreed and were then signed by the Chairman.

EB Minute 03/09:  Matters Arising
It was noted that the Core Policy Group’s review is in its final stages.

It was noted that no response has been received regarding correspondence from Dr Seamus O’Hickey, Chairman, to the National Consumer Agency (NCA) on 8th October 2008 (ref EB Minute 58/08) in relation to the company The Pure H2O Company (Ireland) Limited.  It was agreed to re-write to the NCA to express disappointment that no action has been taken.

In relation to the Osteoporosis briefing on the Irish Hip Fracture Database by the Secretariat.  It was agreed that the NEI will include this topic on their next meeting Agenda.

EB Minute 04/09:  Correspondence
Correspondence was noted from Dr Seamus O’Hickey, Chairman, the Irish Expert Body on Fluorides and Health to Mr Chris Fitzgerald, Principal Officer, Public Health Division, DOH&C on 3rd March 2009 enclosing correspondence received from EU Commissioner Paula Pinho relating to a public consultant process to be conducted relating to Water Fluoridation.  It was agreed that the Secretariat and Chairman would compile the submission drawing on input from Expert Body members.

Correspondence was noted from Mr Peter Henshaw, Dental Unit, Department of Health and Children to Ms Etain Kett, Secretariat, in November 2008 in relation to correspondence received from Mr Robert Pocock to the Minister for Finance referred to the DOH&C.

Email correspondence from Dr Seamus O’Hickey, Chairman, the Irish Expert Body on Fluorides and Health to Mr Eoin Llewellyn on 24th December 2008 regarding queries raised by Mr Llewellyn in relation to water fluoridation in Ireland was noted.

Email correspondence from Ms Etain Kett, Secretariat, the Irish Expert Body on Fluorides and Health to Mr Damien Burns, HSE on 2nd March 2009 regarding queries raised by Mr Eoin Llewellyn was noted.

Correspondence between Mr Michael Lyons, Public Health Dental Unit, Department of Health and Children to Ms Etain Kett, Secretariat, the Irish Expert Body on Fluorides in February 2009 addressing queries raised by Mr Billy Waters were noted.  It was agreed that the Secretariat will compile an audit of time spent in relation to addressing queries received.

Correspondence dated 11th November 2008 from Mr Martin Devine, Assistant National Director, Environmental Health, HSE to Dr Brian O’Herlihy, Director of Public Health and Vice-Chair of the Irish Expert Body on Fluorides and Health was noted relating to a longitudinal study – fluoride research.

EB Minute 05/09:  EU Director, Commission Directive 2007/53/EC of 29 August 2007
It was noted that the draft letter to Mr Chris Fitzgerald, Department of Health and Children was currently being reviewed by the Executive Committee.

EB Minute 06/09: Baseline Study to Monitor Specific Effects of Amending the Level of Fluoride in Water Supplies in the Republic of Ireland
The current status of the Baseline Research was noted.

EB Minute 07/09: National Audit of Water Treatment Plants
Mr Padraic Fogarty, Tobin Consulting Engineers presented the National Audit’s final results.  It was agreed that Tobin should proceed to compile the Final Report.  The Chairman thanked them for the presentation.

EB Minute 08/09: Tendering Committee for Supply and Delivery of Hydrofluosilicic Acid
Correspondence from Mr Martin Devine, Assistant National Director, Population Health – Environmental Health, HSE to Ms Etain Kett, Secretariat, regarding the tendering committee to negotiate the contract for the supply and delivery of Hydrofluosilicic Acid was noted.  An oral update was provided by the Secretariat on this matter and it was noted that Ms Kett will represent the Expert Body on the tendering committee.

EB Minute 09/09: Report of the Sub-committees
The Quality Assurance Sub-committee reported the following:
•	An update on the National Audit of Water Fluoridation Treatment Plants contract schedule was noted.
•	An update on the HSE National Fluoridation Steering Committee was given.

The New and Emerging Issues Sub-committee reported the following:
•	An update on the latest papers/documents reviewed by the NEI was given.
•	EC Regulation No 1333/2008 on food additives was noted.  The EFSA recent clearance of the use in food and calcium supplements of sodium monofluorophosphate was noted.
•	The Report “Topical Fluorides – Guidance on the use of topical fluorides for caries prevention in children and adolescents in Ireland” Oral Health Services Research Centre, Cork was noted 

The Communications/Public Health/Health Promotion Sub-committee reported the following:
•	The media monitoring report was given by the Secretariat.
•	It was noted that as part of the future role of the Expert Body that the Communications/Public Health/Health Promotion Sub-committee’s role will be subsumed into the Secretariat function and as relevant by the Quality Assurance and NEI Sub-committees.
•	It was agreed that the Expert Body website will include a section that gives a fact guide about fluorides.

EB Minute 10/09:  Report on CECDO 2008
A report by Professor Denis O’Mullane who represented the Expert Body at the CECDO meeting in Paris in November 2008 was tabled.  

It was agreed that in order to keep up to date with the latest findings it was important for an Expert Body member to attend future CECDO meetings.  It was further agreed that, in line with budgetary guidelines set by the Department of Finance only one Expert Body member should be funded to attend any one meeting held outside Ireland.

EB Minute 11/09:  Report of Executive Committee
•	The Report on the Executive Committee’s meeting held on 5th February 2009 was noted and it was agreed to amend the AOB section to include the wording the “the remit of the Irish Expert Body on Fluorides and Health does not include the direct promotion of water fluoridation – in this sense it is an independent body” in order to clarify why the IEB did not respond positively to a request from the British Fluoridation Society to support the Southampton fluoridation consultation.
•	It was noted that the Budget 2009 had been confirmed by the Department of Health and Children.  The Department of Finance guidelines in relation to cost-cutting measures were noted and it was agreed that cut backs would be applied wherever possible.

EB Minute 12/09:  AOB
It was noted that the FSAI found that there was currently no need for mandatory Folic Acid fortification in Ireland.

It was noted that according to the European Environment Agency water resources across Europe are confronting water scarcity and drought.  This could potentially result in the introduction of water charges which could have implications for water fluoridation policy.

It was noted that the Expert Body provided feedback to the HSE in their production of a report entitled “Drinking Water and Health”.

It was noted that a letter of congratulations has been sent to Ciaran O’Neill, on his new professorship of Health Technology Assessment, National University of Ireland, Galway.

It was noted that the Expert Body have been invited to contribute to the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs development of a National Data Strategy on Children’s Lives.  It was agreed that the Secretariat in consultation with the Chairman will prepare a response.

EB Minute 13/09:  Date of Next Meeting
The next Plenary Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, 30th September 2009 commencing at 10:30am in the Board Room, Corrigan House, Fenian Street, Dublin 2.

The Chairman thanked all for their attendance and declared the meeting closed at 1:00pm

Signed:	______________________________

Date: 		______________________________