Vol. 420 No. 9
10 Miss Flaherty asked the Minister for Energy if, following the discovery of unacceptable high levels of radon gas in many Irish homes and workplaces and the consequent increased risk of cancer, he will outline the extent of remedial action taken to date.
Remedial action to deal with unacceptable levels of radon gas is primarily a matter for the householders and property owners concerned. However, guidance on remedial action is provided by the Department of the Environment through the Environmental Research Unit which has issued an advisory booklet in the matter entitled Radon in Buildings. That booklet, which is available on request from the ERU, advises that, where appropriate measures cannot be chosen with confidence, an architect, engineer or radiation scientist, who is properly qualified to advise on remedial measures, should be contacted. The Department of the Environment also recently co-operated with engineering and architectural organisations in arranging seminars in Cork and Galway on the radon gas problem.
In the particular case of certain schools in Counties Mayo and Galway, in which radon gas levels have been established to be unacceptably high, the Department of Education, in co-operation with the Office of Public Works and the school authorities, have initiated remedial measures.
I welcome the remedial measures which have been initiated in Counties Mayo and Galway. Does the Minister have any information in relation to the other counties which were identified as being at a particularly high risk, County Clare and parts of County Cork? Has he been in touch with the Minister for Health to discuss the possibility of carrying out an analysis of the health risk to people who have been exposed to high levels of radon?
I am informed that the risk of contacting lung cancer as a result of exposure to radon depends on the level of radon concentration one is exposed to and, in particular, the length of time. The average lifetime risk in Ireland of contracting lung cancer is 3 per cent. It is currently estimated that for a person in whose house the average radon concentration is the same as the reference level this risk is approximately doubled. In the case of smokers, there is evidence that the risks associated with exposure to radon are considerably higher than for non-smokers. Each householder who resides in an area where there is deemed to be a high radon level has a duty to himself to have his house tested. This test can be carried out by the Radiological Protection Institute for a fee of £15 over a period of seven to nine months. If it is found that the radon levels are in excess of the reference level of 200 becquerels per cubic metre then it is recommended that some remedial action be taken. As I said, the Department of the Environment have issued a booklet on how best to take that remedial action.
