Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 17 Feb 1993

Vol. 426 No. 2

Adjournment Debate. - Proposed Loop Head (Clare) Mast.

Mr. Dukes

I am grateful to you, Sir, for giving me time to raise this matter, which has some connections with the Bill we talked about earlier today. The Commissioners of Irish Lights propose to erect a steel mast 720 feet high about five miles east of Loophead lighthouse. That work is proposed on foot of an international agreement signed by our Government on 6 August last concerning the establishment and operation of a Loran-C navigation system in north-west Europe and the north Atlantic. While the Loran-C system has a number of advantages the case for participating in the system is far from compelling. Fishermen's organisations here and in the UK have serious reservations about the system. Their belief is that they will eventually move to another navigation system entitled global positioning system —GPS — which is satellite based. They see no reason why they should first incur the cost of changing from their present Decca system to the Loran-C system and subsequently bear the extra cost of moving from the Loran-C system to GPS. Those costs could be substantial.

The current cost of a Loran-C receiver which would have to be installed if this system was brought into operation is between £2,500 and £3,500. In addition, it is not possible to transfer information electronically from the Decca system to Loran-C. The transfer must be carried out manually and it is a very exacting and time consuming procedure. It is not yet possible to say what the subsequent cost of a change to the global positioning system would be. All the EC fishing zones are situated inside regions covered by the Decca system and that system as a result is used by a very large number of Community fishing vessel owners for radio navigation and scanning the sea bed for fish. The general view among fishermen is that the Loran-C system is no more precise than the Decca system. The European Community organisation representing fishermen — EUROPECHE — is opposed to the introduction of Loran-C.

I should add in parenthesis that the Commission of the European Communities has supported the introduction of the Loran-C system but all I can discern from discussing the matter with those involved and from reading the literature is that the Commission's support for this system is very much less than being at the front of their collective minds.

I find it significant also that the United Kingdom, in spite of having been looking at this system for quite a long time has not yet signed the international agreement. The reason it has not done so is that the authorities there are currently negotiating to get a better deal for the Decca system that is now in operation there. Their belief seems to be that they can get a better deal from continuing with the Decca system than with Loran. That being the case, it seems questionable whether the Loop Head mast should be constructed at all.

The question of the health risk from both thermal and athermal radiation from the proposed mast has been raised. I have seen statements on both sides of that issue. As a layman, I would not dare to venture an opinion and I cannot decide between them; but I am very sceptical about some of the claims of possible dangers. The fact remains however that even the expert retained by the Commissioners of Irish Lights has pointed out that at present no Irish authority has responsibility for the safety of non-ionising radiation. He suggested that the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, set up by an Act of 1991, could be asked to undertake an assessment. I find it appalling that the matter has proceeded as far as it has without such an assessment having been done.

In addition, the mast would undoubtedly constitute a major visual intrusion into the area. It would be visible over a five mile radius by day, set as it would be on the cliff top plateau of Loop Head. It would be visible over even greater distances at night since it would have to be fitted with flashing strobe lights because it clearly would constitute a danger for air navigation and also for birds. The mast itself would have to be supported by a complex of guy-wires so that the visual intrusion would be quite substantial. It would be folly to inflict such a major environmental intrusion for the sake of an unwanted system which could soon become redundant.

Finally, under the law as it stands the Commissioners of Irish Lights do not require planning permission for this project. It would be outrageous to inflict such an environmental intrusion on the area in a situation in which local residents effectively have no statutory right to voice their opinions and have their views taken into account. I call on the Minister and the Government to halt this project immediately.

Minister for the Marine (Mr. Andrews)

I am glad the Deputy has raised this matter. A number of Deputies have been in touch with me about it, not least of all Deputy Síle de Valera who has requested me to meet with a group of concerned citizens living in or around the area of this proposed 750 feet mast. I would be glad to meet with the group, as suggested by Deputy de Valera. I would also be glad to allay the fears of the local community in that, in addition to whatever independent surveys have been done, I will undertake to seriously consider the possibility of another independent assessment in view of what are genuine concerns of a community who would be within the shadow of this mast.

Loran-C is a radio navigation system used extensively throughout the world. Ireland, under an international agreement, is to join the chain of Loran-C masts in other north-west European countries in order to provide a safe cost-effective navigation system for our sea-farers. Our joining the chain involves the building of a radio mast which for maximum coverage of our coasts has to be sited in the south-west of the country. The Dáil has been given extensive details of the Loran-C project and I refer Deputies to the Dáil's approval of the project on 8 October 1992.

The Commissioner of Irish Lights, acting on an agency basis on behalf of the Department, is responsible for the construction, operation and maintenance of the proposed Loran-C mast at Loop Head. While not required by the European Communities Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, 1989, to do so, the Commissioners of Irish Lights prepared an environmental impact statement which was made available to the local authority and which was put on public display in a number of locations in County Clare last December. I understand that under the Local Government Planning and Development Regulations, 1977, planning permission is not required for a navigation aid. However, I assure Deputy Dukes and those Deputies representing the county of Clare that the Commissioners of Irish Lights will comply with whatever requirements of a planning nature may be considered by the local authority to be necessary in relation to the project or aspects of the project. This project will not go ahead without consultation, permission or whatever other requirements are necessary under the Planning Acts, despite the fact that there is exemption from such requirements.

In December 1992 the commissioners held a public meeting at Loop Head and since then they have been engaged in a public consultative process with the local community. In particular the local community have sought reassurance regarding possible risks to public health, and understandably so. The Commissioners of Irish Lights have undertaken to address these concerns through the commissioning as necessary of further independent advice on the matter. One such report has been already commissioned. As has been mentioned by Deputy Dukes, it was undertaken by Professor Walton, a highly respected physicist from Galway University whose integrity and whose report is not being impugned in this discussion. This report was made available at a further public meeting called by the local community on Friday, 12 February last. The commissioners furnished the meeting with an account of their investigation so far. An independent expert addressed the meeting on the question of the safety implications of the proposed Loran-C mast.

The report indicates that the electric field from the mast will be well within all international reference levels and that it is unlikely that any ill-effects would be experienced by any person in the locality. I have been assured that the commissioners will continue to meet with and inform local interests on the outcome of further investigations into the issues of concern. I am firmly of the view that the widest possible consultative procedure must apply to ensure that both the beneifts of Loran-C and concerns of the local community are fully explored and the facts clearly established.

I would like to address this issue in the wider context of my concern for safety at sea generally. I wish to emphasise that I attach considerable importance to improving safety for those using the seas around our coast, be they fishermen, merchant seamen, passengers on board ferries or the increasing number of pleasure craft sailors. Safety must be tackled on a wide variety of fronts if we are to reduce further the occurrence of maritime tragedies. In recent years great improvements have been made to the range of safety services available to our seafarers, including the establishment of the Irish Marine Emergency Service. Such services rely heavily on modern technology.

I genuinely appreciate the legitimate concerns which can be raised, indeed should be raised, about the use of technology. I am adamant that in the case of this project all these concerns will be addressed, both in the context of their requirements of the planning authority and the legitimate specific concerns raised by the local communities. I have instructed the Department to arrange with the Commissioners of Irish Lights to furnish the planning authority and the local community with an update on the results of investigations to date into the public health question. I will also require that any issues raised that have not been fully addressed, or indeed any new issues that come to light, be fully examined.

I am committed to maximum transparency and openess in this question and to ensuring that the consultative process involved takes due account of the legitimate concerns and interests of the local community.