Vol. 473 No. 2
54 Mr. Nealon asked the Minister for Health the studies, if any, which have been carried out by his Department into the perceived health hazards created by communications masts being erected for mobile phone communications systems; if his Department has examined studies carried out in other parts of the world in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24845/96]
Limerick East): All significant research in this area is monitored by the Department of Transport, Energy and Communications, with whom my Department maintains liaison in relation to the human health aspects. The International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection assessed all recent published scientific literature in this area. Following this assessment the commission stated in April this year that there is no substantive evidence that adverse health effects can occur in people exposed to levels of non-ionising radiation at or below guidelines set by the International Radiation Protection Association. According to measurements made here by Forbairt at a number of locations, the highest exposure levels in the vicinity of base station towers in Ireland are about 1,000 times lower than the IRPA levels.
