(Dublin North-West) asked the Minister for Health if she will consider setting up a commission to study the health side-effects and incidence of ill-health associated with accommodation in high rise flats.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - High Rise Flats.
22.
I do not consider that it is necessary to set up a commission as suggested by the Deputy. If, however, he has any evidence to support the implication in his question regarding ill-health in high rise flats I will arrange to have it considered.
(Dublin North-West): Is the Minister of State aware that on numerous occasions his Department have been supplied in this House with references of medical research documents which have indicated beyond all doubt that high rise flats are associated with ill-health of some degree or other? The question of whether ill-health exists in high rise accommodation is not in doubt, it is merely the degree to which it exists. Does the Minister think that his Department have been irresponsible in the past ten years in not setting up some form of commission to investigate the degree of ill-health considering that the high rise flat complex in this city has the biggest concentration in Europe of young children and unmarried mothers? Medical research papers from the UK and many other European countries indicate that ill-health co-exists with living in high rise flats. Does he accept that his Department have been negligent in this regard?
I have said to the Deputy that if he has any evidence or information available to him that would prove his point I would be prepared to have it examined in great detail. I am advised by the Dublin City MO that, while there are problems — and I am aware of the Deputy's concern that there are problems in the area because of the high rise flats — they are not in any way causing ill-health. Because of that and because of the information available to Deputy Byrne, if he will supply me with that information I will gladly investigate it in detail if he has such a case.
(Dublin North-West): Is the Minister aware that he has at his full disposal a Department of officials and trained medical people and many auxiliary and statutory bodies who can investigate this allegation? I am amazed to hear the Minister saying that ill-health is not associated with high rise dwellings when the officials of his Department have the references relevant to this. It is frightening to think that over 13 years——
I have given the Deputy a lot of latitude here but we cannot have a debate on the matter. He has been asked to supply the evidence. We will go on to the next question.
(Dublin North-West): May I ask the Minister of State if, as a priority measure, he will ask his officials to have a look again at the situation?
I have had advice from an expert in my Department and I have had consultation and discussion with him on this problem. I have explained that the advice I have is contrary to the advice given by the Deputy. I will have another look at it and again I request that if the Deputy has any further information or evidence he will make it available to me so that I can have it examined in detail.
(Dublin North-West): Is the Minister aware that Deputy Byrne is a medical officer who operates in Ballymun? Would he agree that nobody is better qualified to realise that the ill-health effects referred to in this question can be attributed to families living in high rise flats? Would the Minister be prepared to take up this matter with his collegue in the Department of the Environment to see that in the future families with young children will not be allocated accommodation in high rise flats?
(Dublin North-West): Hear, hear.
At the request of the Deputy I can have a discussion with my colleague in the Department of the Environment. In relation to the qualifications mentioned by the Deputy, I am not an expert and I am not qualified to judge qualifications in that field, therefore I am dependent on the advice of the medical officers which I have here before me.