Vol. 512 No. 3
42 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the reason provision of a scheme of grant aid for the remediation of radon gas in households was not included in her Department's 2000 Estimates; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26000/99]
The Government is not in a position to provide funding in the year 2000 for such a grant scheme due to other expenditure commitments. I will, however, keep the matter under review.
As I said in my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 10 on 29 June 1999, the Government has committed considerable resources to assessing the incidence of radon across the country. It also provided funds to the RPII to strengthen public awareness of the potential risk from radon in high radon areas. In my reply to that question and to Parliamentary Question No. 19 on 10 December 1998, I pointed out the various measures being taken by the Government to address the problem of high radon levels in new homes. In addition, along with the RPII, I have urged households in areas identified as high radon areas in the RPII national survey reports to contact the RPII with a view to having the radon levels in their homes assessed.
I will keep under review measures to tackle high levels of radon and I attach great importance to the RPII's public awareness campaigns to highlight the potential risks involved.
What contact has the Minister of State's Department had with the health boards in relevant areas to highlight the risks of radon gas? What are the results of such contacts? Is he saying only his Department is making representations on this matter? Surely, given the problems associated with this gas, such as its links to lung cancer, there is a need for constant contact with the relevant health boards. Will he ensure that occurs?
I am conscious of the importance of the matter raised by the Deputy, particularly public information about this gas and its potentially deleterious effects on people, especially those in established high radon areas. A ministerial committee I chair discusses these matters and the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, who is au fait with the situation, is also a member. We discussed this matter at our most recent meeting and I asked the RPII to come back to the next meeting with proposals on how one might further improve the level of information on this issue that can be given to the public.
This issue is not about information. It is about cost. People in areas with high radon need to put in new floors, which is very expensive. In view of the deleterious effects radon has on health, a grant scheme should be introduced, even on a means tested basis, to allow people to carry out these works.
The Deputy is correct in saying a sump beneath the floor is the established method of alleviating the problem and rendering the situation safer. I acknowledge what the RPII has said on this repeatedly. I respect its view and it has made proposals for a grant scheme. A grant scheme has not been put in place, but I intend to pursue it. I am resolved to pursue it.
As the Minister of State has accepted the need for a grant scheme, why was the grant scheme established by the previous Minister of State scrapped when this Government took office? The survey has established the extent of radon contamination across the country, so when will we see that grant scheme re-established?
In view of the threat to children in schools, what level of co-operation has there been between the Minister of State's Department and the Department of Education and Science? What measures are proposed, given the substantial threat to children?
I will take the second question first, as it is very pertinent. At the request of the Minister for Education and Science, the RPII has undertaken a comprehensive survey of schools in high radon areas, which commenced in September 1998. It is being carried out over three school years. The information is coming in and remediation measures arising from the survey will be paid for by the Department of Education and Science.
Regarding the other question, the previous Minister of State put a scheme forward, but he got bogged down at the same level as me. The matter went to his Minister for Finance and was not put in place.
I got the money.
I am resolved to continue to seek funding for this grant.
The Minister of State should resolve to get after the Minister, Deputy O'Rourke.
Written Answers follow Adjournment Debate
