The Irish Dental Association will discuss the possibility of a sugar tax being introduced in Ireland at their annual conference in Galway today.

In the UK, the British Chancellor George Osborne recently announced plans to introduce a sugar tax on producers of sugar-added soft drinks over the next two years.

However, the Irish Dental Association has stated that the focus should be on encouraging people to reduce the volume and frequency of sugar they consume and not on how much they pay for it.

However, dietician Orla Walsh says that a tax may act as a deterrent and is a step in the right direction.

“High sugar consumption isn’t good for health, both in the short and long term,” she said.

“It will negatively affect our energy levels, but in the long term it will put us at risk of most conditions and diseases as well as affect the health of our teeth.

“Children are suffering tooth decay at the moment, and that’s preventable by simply children only drinking milk and water, and drinking very fruit juices, sports drinks and fizzy drinks.”