Minutes of proceedings of the Plenary Meeting of the Irish Expert Body on Fluorides and Health held in the Mont Clare Hotel, Dublin 2 on 
Wednesday, 29th September 2004

Present:	Dr Seamus O’Hickey, Dr Joe Mullen, Dr Paul Beirne, Mr David Moloney, Mr Ray Parle, Ms Martina Queally, Dr Wayne Anderson, Mr Darragh Page, Mr Enda Falvey, Mr Oliver Fogarty, Ms Ursula O Dwyer, Professor Denis O’Mullane, Mr Denis Lyons, Dr Brian O’Herlihy, Mr Stephen McDermott

In attendance:  Ms. Deirdre Sadlier, Ms. Patricia Gilsenan

Absent:	Dr Gerard Gavin, Mr Matt Twomey

Apologies:	Councillor Jack Bourke, Professor John Clarkson, Ms Dorothy Gallagher, Mr Rowland Reece, Professor William Binchy, Ms Biddy O’Neill

Amendments:  

Agenda Item 4 - Draft Action Plan for the Irish Expert Body on Fluorides and Health (as circulated 08/11/04)

It was agreed to make the following further amendments to the Draft Action Plan:

Section 3:
Recommendation 1:  Policy Aspects of Water Fluoridation.  Specific Action 1.2.2.

Recommendation 2:  Technical Aspects of Water Fluoridation.  Specific Actions 2.2.2.

Recommendation 4:  Oral Health Care Industry. Specific Action 4.3.3.

Recommendation 5:  Infant Formula.  Specific Actions 5.1.1 and 5.2.2.

After lengthy discussion it was agreed not to amend Specific Action 6.3.3

Minutes of the meeting held on the 23/06/04 were adopted and signed by the Chairman. 

Matters Arising from the Minutes:

Minute 6.  23/06/04:

It was agreed that the Report on the Evaluation of the Delivery and Monitoring of Water Fluoridation in Ireland should be made available to the Expert Body.  In this regard, confirmation of the Report’s status will be requested by the Secretariat from the Department of Health and Children.

Minutes of the Meeting: Agenda Item 3 

Correspondence:

The following correspondence was brought to the attention of the Expert Body members:

3.1	Expert Body member, Ms Dorothy Gallagher, (letter of 1/07/04 to the Chairman refers) has declined her appointment to the Executive Committee preferring to serve on a sub-committee dealing with public education and communication matters.

The meeting noted Ms Gallagher’s decision and also her request to serve on a particular committee.

3.2	Department of Health and Children (letter dated 27/07/04 to the Secretariat refers) (circulated 08/11/04) containing representations to the Minister from Ms Tara Wharton, Clerk to the Joint Committee on Health and Children, Dáil Éireann, concerning a presentation by Professor Paul Connett on the recommendations of the Forum on Fluoridation, with a transcript.

3.3	Ms Wharton requested that the Minister  respond to the issues raised in the presentation. In turn, the Department passed this request for a response to the Chairman.

3.4	The Chairman informed the meeting that having read and considered the letter and attached papers from Ms Wharton he had decided to consult members of the Expert Body at the 24th September 04 Plenary meeting.

The Chairman appraised members of the contents of the representation, and it was agreed that the matter was sufficiently important to warrant a formal request to the Oireachtas Joint Committee, through the Department of Health and Children, for an opportunity to respond to what is a direct challenge by Professor Paul Connett to the Report and Recommendations of the Forum on Fluoridaton.  It was also agreed that the Expert Body members should be able to address the Joint Committee members on these matters, on the same terms as were accorded to Professor Connett and his supporters. 

It was agreed that this set of correspondence be circulated to the members (as circulated      )  and Professor O’ Mullane and Dr Mullen agreed to review the documentation and advise the Chairman of the areas of expertise required to prepare a full and accurate response to the challenge.

It was agreed that this matter would be an agenda item for the next plenary meeting.

3.5	Department of Health and Children. (letter dated 5/08/04 to the secretariat refers)  from Dr Elizabeth Cullen, Irish Doctors’ Environmental Association.  

The Secretariat responded to Dr Cullen’s request for the following; full membership listing and remit of the Expert Body, however, it was agreed that    Dr Cullen’s request for the minutes of the meetings of the Expert Body would be dealt with by the secretariat in line with the FOI Act as it applies to the Irish Expert Body on Fluorides and Health.

It was agreed that any future appropriate correspondence received by the Chairman will be circulated to Expert Body members.

It was also confirmed that, in general, the Expert Body members had the freedom to make public statements, however, this requires the prior approval of the Chairman.  This was in response to a direct question on the matter to the Chairman.  

Minute 4:  Agenda Item 4:

The Director, Secretariat outlined the background to and the process of the development of the Draft Business Plan.  The implications for the Dental Health Foundation of the Health Service Reform Programme and the planned Charitable Legislation reform was explained and also the role of management consultants in this regard.

It was confirmed that the Appendix A of the Draft Business Plan will be amended in line with the changes to the Action Plan agreed at 23/06/04 meeting.

It was also agreed that the Expert Body members will review the Draft Business Plan and put any queries or suggested changes in writing to the Chairman by Monday, 11th October 2004.

It was agreed that a small taskforce would be formed to collate the feedback from the Expert Body members.

The Taskforce will meet on Thursday, 14th October 2004 at 9:30am in the Dental Health Foundation’s offices, 26 Harcourt Street, Dublin 2.  The members of the Taskforce are Dr Seamus O’Hickey (Chair), Mr David Moloney, Mr Stephen McDermott, Ms Martina Queally and Ms Deirdre Sadlier (Director, Secretariat).  Ms Queally will be absent from the meeting but will review the collation of feedback from the Expert Body members and forward her advice to the Secretariat prior to the Taskforce meeting.

Professor O’Mullane proposed the setting-up of the Quality Assurance Committee as detailed in the draft Business Plan.  This was seconded by Mr David Moloney and supported by Dr Wayne Anderson.

Membership of the Committee is as follows:

Mr David Moloney, Dr Wayne Anderson, Mr Darragh Page, Mr Ray Parle, Mr Enda Falvey, Dr Joe Mullen

Mr Parle proposed Mr Moloney as Chair of the Committee, this was seconded by Mr Falvey.  Mr Moloney agreed to Chair the first meeting of the Committee following which the nominee for the role of Chair will be reviewed.  The Committee membership is to set the timetable, meeting date and venue.  Any decisions reached by the Committee are to be presented at the next Expert Body Plenary meeting.

Minute 5:

Venues for future meetings are to be evaluated with consideration given to locations on the Luas lines.

Minute 6:

The next Expert Body Plenary meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, 24th November 2004 commencing at 10:30am in the Alexander Hotel, Fenian Street, Dublin 2.

The Chairman declared the meeting closed and thanked those present for their attendance.

Signed:	______________________________

Date: 		______________________________